Don't ya just love the holidays? I always enjoy the reflecting on old, and making of new memories. Even though I think everyday we should be thankful, everyday we should acknowledge the Lord's birth, His resurrection, and salvation, and everyday we should show His love toward others, holidays especially can provide wonderful opportunities to share with others the message of our Lord and Savior. People seem to be more receptive to hearing of Jesus during holidays. Don't be afraid to be bold in your witness for Christ--be a teapot for Christ. (read more about that here)  Spend time with family and friends and talk of His goodness to you this year. Wouldn't the greatest memory be of bringing someone to the Lord this year? Pray for God to bring that person to you this year.

Another wonderful thing I love about the holidays is making memories in our personal family. I love it when the kids go down on Christmas day and see Baby Jesus lying in a manger in front of the tree. I like the fact that they are looking for Him rather than presents, and having a birthday party for Him. Of course, yes--they do enjoy opening up all the gifts that He has given to them. 

Establishing family traditions and memorials in your home will enhance your family identity. If  you haven't already read it, we have a separate WebPage about establishing a strong family identity.  Having specific events that you can look back on can provide a sense of security in your family. The word of God is clear in it's admonition about this topic. 

"Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you." Romans 12:2 TLB

"Don't let the world around you squeeze you into it's mold." Romans 12:2 Phillips translation

"Build your house and your household traditions on the Word of God!" Psalm 127:1 teaches us…"unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain."

We have listed below a few ideas that can help you in establishing some new family traditions and memorials in your home.

Thanksgiving

Hard Tack bread

Bob Lepine (co-host of "FamilyLife Today" radio; www.familylife.org ) and his family follow a tradition of eating "hard tack" during their Thanksgiving meal. An unleavened bread which will last for months without spoiling, hard tack was used during the time of the Pilgrims on voyages across the Atlantic Ocean.

As they eat the bread, Bob reminds his family of the hardships the Pilgrims endured to come to this country. He also asks, "Who else can you think of that needed bread to sustain them on a long trip? The answer: the Israelites, who ate the daily manna which God provided after He brought them out of Egypt.

This context provides the family with an opportunity to remember how God also sustains them and provides for all their needs.
Hard Tack ingredients:

1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons real maple syrup
1/4 and 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons shortening

Mix baking soda and buttermilk, then set aside. Mix flour, maple syrup, 3/8 teaspoon salt, then cut in the shortening. Add the baking soda/buttermilk mixture. Roll out very thin, then score rectangles in the dough without cutting all the way through. Prick each rectangle several times with a fork. Bake 5-10 minutes or until golden brown at 425 degrees.

Kernels of Corn

During Thanksgiving dinner, have 5 kernels of corn on each plate. Remind the guests/family of the religious persecution that the Pilgrims went through for religious freedom in our country. Tell them that the Pilgrims had learned to ration their food while traveling over on the Mayflower. They brought along a limited supply of  dried salty meats, hard breads with no yeast, oils, flour, and barrels of water. (Even though they were surrounded with water, it was too salty to drink.) Also it is, very likely since they had just learned how to harvest corn, they may have had to ration their first harvest of corn to survive the winter. Use the  5 kernels of corn on their plate to symbolize how each pilgrim was  rationed their  food.

Have each guest deposit 1 kernel in a basket for each thing they are thankful for. Leave the basket on the table during dinner to remind them how thankful we are for our religious freedom

Christmas

Christmas Breads (make bread and give out to neighbors, friends, or relatives with a note attached that says the following)

Bread was an all-important commodity of the Ancient East. Bread was the basic ingredient of their diet. IT was also used it sacred meals and loaves were included in certain offerings.

It seems fitting then that God, the Father, chose the town of Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread", for the birth of His Son, Jesus. Christ referred to Himself as the "bread of life" (John 6:33-35) and He chose the bread of the Passover to be the symbolic memorial of His body as He said, "take, eat this bread in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

We find Christmas a very special time to remember al Christ has done for us, and with this little gift of bread we hope to extend that joy of the Lord from our home to yours.

The Wreath (hang a wreath from your front door with this note attached for guests to read as they wait for you to answer the door)

To Romans and Greeks of Ancient times, a wreath represented victory either in the event of battle or athletics. Early Christians maintained the symbol of the wreath, hanging it to represent the victory in life of knowing Christ as their Lord and Savior--thus, our Christmas wreath.

Santa Claus (we believe it is important to always tell your children the truth, this is why we have never told our children that Santa Claus is real. We simply point out that it is a man in a costume just like Big Bird. Our children still enjoy Christmas and nothing has been ruined for them. We share the character that this costumed man represents.) You can also share this with others by attaching the following to gifts.

The history of man, Nicholas, who was later made a saint in the Catholic Church, is vague and sketchy. But one thing stands out about his character--he love the poor and needy and he used Jesus' birthday as an opportunity to give gifts to the widow and orphans. He was loved by all, especially the children. Thus, our tradition of gift giving.

In our home we believe the greatest gift that we've ever received is God's gift of His Son to us. It allows us to experience the spirit of Christmas year round. So at this special time of year, we would like to share with you our little give and our wish for you to experience a blessed Christmas Season.

The Christmas Tree (For the last few years, we have picked out our trees together as a family.) The following is the origin of the Christmas tree.

• "Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord." 1 Chron. 16:33 Basing their actions upon scripture, early Christians brought trees into their homes to celebrate the birth of Christ. Thus, originating our tradition of the Christmas tree. It is also very fitting and wonderful to share gifts beside a tree. It was in a similar setting, at a tree called Calvary that the most precious gift of all was given. His name is Jesus (John 3:16). The real Father of Christmas, Father God, has always given gifts.
• Pin encouraging notes on the tree for hubby and each child.
• Put "true meaning" message cards on the tree.
• Put the tree outside after Christmas allowing it to decay naturally. When Resurrection Sunday arrives, be sure to decorate it with a white cloth (symbolizing His clothing) and fresh flowers (symbolizing life) to represent the resurrection of Christ.

Jesus' Birthday Present Box  (Right on or around the day after thanksgiving you will do the following).

Wrap up a simple box or get a treasure chest that will contain "presents" that you will offer to the Lord on Christmas Day or during Jesus' Birthday party.  Have 3x5 blank cards available by the box for members of your family to write down "good deeds" that they have seen others do in their family. On Christmas Day or at Jesus' Birthday party, you will read them aloud.

Prepare a Manger for Baby Jesus (Every year favorite!)

Many years ago we had a friend make us a manger. Soon after Thanksgiving (usually that night or the day after because of our excitement) we set it close to where our Christmas tree will go and place a nice bed of straw in it. Each day before Christmas as we look at it, our anticipation grows for the day when baby Jesus will be lying in it.  

On Christmas Eve after all the children have gone to bed, we quietly lay a doll tightly wrapped in a baby blanket in the manger. Then on Christmas morning our children excitedly run downstairs to find baby Jesus lying in the manger. When we have spent Christmas at other relatives, this is so important to us that we just pack it up and take it with us in the back of the car! 

(On a funny note: We picked up our doll ((since we have boys we don't exactly have any in the house)) at the second hand store. It think they would just be horrified if they saw that baby Jesus actually has PINK hair! :)  But, it serves our purpose, and I just couldn't bare replacing it since it brings such funny memories to Jay and I for knowing about it all these years! )

Nancy Butkowski suggests reading the poem below and having each child place a handful of straw in the manger each day before Christmas.

The Manger
The time grows near;
Let’s all rejoice
Christmas morn will
soon be here.
God has made His
perfect choice.he baby Christ’s birth is near.
As each day passes let’s
make it our goal to
prepare a comfy bed
So when the time comes
He’ll have
A place to rest His tiny head.
We’ll add a bit of straw
each time we stop
To reflect on Christ Jesus and
why He came to earth
Until at last the
morning comes
We’ve all been waiting for
And in the bed we’ve
made for Him
Lies Jesus Christ the Lord.

Jesus' Birthday Party

Read the gifts aloud, have a special "character" from the Bible attend as a special guest re-enacting the events that took place during the birth of Christ. Invite unsaved children to the party. Pass out gifts that represent Christ to the children. Have the older children recite the Christmas story (Luke 2-1-20 or just 7:16.) Sing and record the Christmas songs that you sing at Jesus' party. Play them back each year.

The Birthday Cake

In all the bustle of preparing for Christmas, we may forget what we are celebrating. It is Jesus' birthday! So to help celebrate His birthday, we make a birthday cake for Him. But this is no ordinary cake.

First, the birthday cake itself symbolizes God's love for us (John 3:16). It is a chocolate cake, to symbolize our sin, black in God's own eyes (Romans 3:23). White frosting covers the cake just as Christ's purity covers our sins (Isaiah 1:18). On top of the cake we put a yellow star to signify the one that shone over Jesus' manger (Matthew 2:1-2), an angel to indicate the first glad tidings (Luke 2:9-10), and candles to show that Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12). There are 12 candles to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world throughout the 12 months of the year, not just at Christmas. Also, they are red, symbolizing His blood shed for us (Matthew 26:27-28). Finally, we put some evergreens on the cake to signify everlasting life (John 3:16), God's gift to those who receive it.

The entire cake is shaped like a star, and we actually make two each year--one for ourselves so we can have a birthday party for Jesus, and one to give away to someone whom the Lord put in our lives. We pray as a family to direct us--perhaps to a single-parent family, or a family going through a difficult time.

One year we celebrated Christmas in Florida, and since we didn't know anyone, we called a local hospital and took it to the pediatric department for the children and staff who were there on Christmas Day. We always include a copy of what the cake symbolizes as an evangelistic outreach.

--Dave and Shirley Bauman

Christmas Cards  (We love this one in our family!)

• We have a card tree that we place in the middle of our table. At dinner we pray as a family for those Christmas cards that arrived that day.
• We also cut up special images from last year's cards and use them as labels for gifts the next year. It's a great way to recycle and be thrifty. 
• Send back last year's card to the person who sent it to you. Be sure to date it and include a new Christmas letter. Now I must tell you that the first time I had somebody do this to me, (my brother) I thought he was being rude or he was holding an offense toward me,....so be sure to tell the person what you are doing so you don't look like you didn't appreciate their card last year and are now sending it back! :) 

Centerpiece

• Be sure to have your family Bible opened up to Luke 2 on your coffee table for guests to read the story of Christ.

Christmas Dinner

• Have the children make place mats for Christmas dinner with the following scripture verse on it. "Whether, then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

Advent Tree

The Jesse tree; a heritage of Jesus in the stories and symbols of Advent. Would you like something unique for Advent? Do you want a "conversation piece" for your home? They you will want a Jesse Tree. What is a Jesse Tree? It is a small tree decorated with symbols portraying the spiritual heritage of Jesus. It is a kind of family tree, which was suggested by Isaiah's prophecy (11:1) "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse." If you would like the list of symbols and scripture references, you can find them in the book "Family Celebrations."

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Note: We have used most of these ideas for years, and I am not sure of the source of many of them. Some may be found on Family Life's website, Alisa McCormick made up some, and some came from the book Family Celebrations by Anne Hibbard. (These books are now available for individual holiday seasons.)