Lou Lou Girls > Amber > 10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

 

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions



First of all, I can’t figure out who painted that painting but it is beautiful and I want it! So if anyone knows, please tell me!

Second, Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year! I love all of the festivities and the spirit of giving that takes place. I love giving (and let’s be honest, getting) presents, but I also really love that Christmas is a time to remember Christ. I was lucky enough to grow up in a house with a wonderful Mom who not only spoiled us on Christmas, but made sure we had plenty of opportunities to reflect on the wondrous birth of the Christ Child during the Christmas Season.

Christ is the true meaning of Christmas, and I know that when He is the center of your celebrations Christmas is much more meaningful, joyful, and miraculous. That is why I wanted to share some of my favorite Christ-centered traditions.

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions



1. Fill the Manger: 

Once a week throughout the month of December, have your family members draw names. Make sure everyone keeps their name a secret. Set out a miniature manger somewhere in your house with a bag of straw next to it.

Throughout the week, every time you do an act of service for the name you drew you get to put a piece of straw in the manger. Your goal as a family is to have the manger nice and full for Baby Jesus when he arrives on Christmas morning. (I loved doing this as a little girl!!!)


2. Reenact the Nativity: 

Every Christmas Eve my Dad reads Luke Ch. 2 while us “kids” (we’re now ages 19-26 and I make us still do it) reenact the nativity. (This year I will hopefully have my baby boy by then so he can be baby Jesus!!)


3. Countdown to Mary and Joseph Reaching Bethlehem: 

Put a twist on the classic “count down to Christmas” by having it count down to Mary and Joseph reaching Bethlehem. My Mom has one similar to this one that allows you to move Mary and Joseph closer each day.


4. Scriptures by Candlelight: 

To make reading our Scriptures in December extra special, my Mom would have us read by candlelight.


5. Your “Gift” to Baby Jesus: 

Before we’d go to bed on Christmas eve my Mom would have us write on a piece of paper our “gift” to baby Jesus, meaning a habit we’d like to give up, something we’d like to do better at, a spiritual goal we’d like to have, or something along those lines.

Then she’d keep it in a little stocking, and the next Christmas you’d get to read what your gift was last year to see if you actually did it.


6. Three Gifts Representing Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh: 

This I heard from one of my friends in High School. Under the tree they each get three gifts that somehow represent Frankincense, gold, and myrrh to remind them of the gifts given to Christ.


7. Visit Temple Square: 

If you live in Utah or nearby, Temple Square is a wonderful place to visit during the Christmas Season. They decorate the trees with lights and fill the area with nativity scenes from all over the world.

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

8. Christmas Book: 

At the start of December my Mom usually gives us a new Christmas book that somehow has something to do with Christ. She then keeps them in a basket on the mantle with the books from previous years so that we can read them throughout the month.


9. The Story of the Candy Cane: 

A candy cane can be a really inexpensive way to remind people of Christ at Christmas time. This is a link to the story and a printable poem.


10. Nativity Gingerbread Houses: 

Instead of doing a classic gingerbread house, give it a little more meaning by creating a nativity scene!

10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions

50 thoughts on “10 Christ Centered Christmas Traditions”

  6. Every year at 3 in the afternoon on Christmas Day we have a birthday party for Jesus. We have helium filled balloons that we put a scripture or some other saying about Jesus and send them to heaven. We also have cake afterward.

    Reply

  7. Loved this article! We always did the re-enactment of the nativity and the story of the candy cane. We also do the gift to Baby Jesus, but we have a stocking hanging for him instead. Every year we write down things that we would do as a gift for Jesus, like setting a goal for scripture reading or to attend the temple as often as we can. Then the next year, we read them and see if we kept those promises. We also read The Forgotten Carols and listen to the soundtrack along with reading the book. That one's my favorite!

    Reply

  9. One thing our family does is our nightly scripture for the Jessie tree. However, we do it with an Advent wreath. Each night we light the candles in our Advent wreath, read a section of scripture, read a devotion about it and then someone gets to eat the candy from our Advent calendar. I loved all of the ideas you have in this article. If we keep sharing what each of us do, it might just help to keep Christ in CHRISTmas.

    Reply

  12. Amber, I love your posts….but I had to comment on this one because I found it through pinterest….that a friend of mine (that I'm sure you couldn't actually know) pretty cool! Can't wait to meet your little guy, and even me, I can't wait to watch you chasing him while the twins are nice calm angels 😉 (like that will EVER happen)

    Reply

    2. Haha well judging by how much he moves around now he's definitely going to be a busy body!! You'll just have to show me the ropes! I can't imagine having two! You're superwoman!

      Reply

  13. Where can I get the countdown to Mary and Joseph reaching Bethlehem? I tried the site but it wasn't letting me do anything with it. Maybe because it was from 2009. Any ideas?

    Reply

  14. Do you know where I can get the countdown to Mary and Joseph reaching Bethlehem? I tried the site, but it wouldn't let me do anything with it. maybe because it was from 2009. Any ideas? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. That's a bummer! I've been looking around and all I can find are some similar ones on etsy and amazon but they're not quite the same. Just search for nativity advent calendars and you will see a ton of options. I think my Mom made hers herself so perhaps I will have to do a tutorial!!

      Reply

  15. a friend of mine was telling me about her preacher had talked about the story of the Christmas tree and how it was telling about Christ does anybody know where to find it? I just thought I would ask since the story of the candy cane was on this site! thanks for putting all these together tho 🙂

    Reply

  16. my little girl can ask S
    anta for three gifts one for fun one educational and one practical so she gets three gifts just like Jesus

    Reply

  18. It is fun to learn traditions to honor the season, Christ Birthday!
    This Christmas Eve at 4:00pm the church was filled with families, one of my favorite traditions which I feel slightly spoiled ot share. Our family Grammie, Poppie, my Brothers and Sister all our spouses along with our children file into church to celebrate Our Saviour. The children prepare a Christmas Pageant as the gospel is read they are our live Nativity. This year my Niece stood proudly in the center of church, to Proclaim Christ was born, as our Parish Priest read the words, she raised her arms, dressed in her white robe and Garland Angel Halo, I thought to myself how brave to be ten and stand in a church full of people. We shared the celebration with our family the best gift ever.

    Reply

  20. I started a new tradition when I had children. We bake cupcakes together on December 24th in the afternoon. When we get home from our drive to look at Christmas lights we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus , and then we open a gift that will help others in need. World Vision is an organization that we have used in the past. The catalog will often match your gift making your money go further. It has been a fun way to teach my children about Jesus and the importance of giving.

    Reply

  25. Good evening Ladies, Popping over from What to do Weekends. I'll be co hosting with Linda. I have to say I love that you did this post! Too often is the reason for Christmas lost on so many, How refreshing to see you keeping it alive.
    Many Blessings,
    Theresa @ Shoestring Elegance

    Reply

  27. Great ideas on keeping the Christmas focus where it should be. I've never heard of some of these, and I love that the whole family would enjoy them. Yes, those Temple Square lights are amazing!! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  28. Hey there, love all the decor! 🙂 I just wanted to let you know that I will be featuring this post tomorrow on Tuesdays with a Twist on my blog. Come by for a peek then. I hope you have a great week. 🙂

    Reply

  29. When I had my daughter I wanted to start a tradition and find a way to remind her Christmas is our Savior's birthday. So I decided to buy Jesus a birthday present. Its a gift the whole family can use. Examples I have bought a tv a wii board and card games duck commander study bible we open this gift on Christmas Day and it is the last gift making sure we remember it's not about us. I try to wrap it in birthday paper too. We sing happy birthday. I have to give credit where it's due, I think I heard this from Dolly Pardon.

    Reply

  30. Our family keeps Christ-Centered at Christmas with out Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree originates from Isaiah 11:1, which say, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse". Jesse, the father of King David, is one of the patriarchs through whom Jesus' lineage can be traced. It is used much like and advent calendar. Advent, meaning "coming", refers to the anticipation of the coming of Christ. There is an ornament for each day in December through Christmas day the depicts a story from biblical history. For each symbol, there are correlating OT & NT scriptures, reminding us of how the scriptures are all connected in the theme of God's grace. We got our handmade Jesse Tree on Etsy and we love it. Here is where we got ours"

    https://www.etsy.com/shop/InspiredTraditions

    Reply

  31. I do not know who did the painting of Santa and Jesus. I had a Christmas board that was painted locally where I lived and we would put it out, light up and on bales of hay, in out front house every Christmas. We all loved it as others did. Unfortunately, we split up and I was unable to keep it and he sold it in a garage sale along with all the Christmas décor and the household furniture and goods of 43 yrs. It was very difficult time. I have looked on the web for ' Santa praying over the Christ child' and have found multiple listings. I also had a pitcher made by either Fitz & Floyd or Villeroy & Bock. It won't be my Santa board but hopefully you can find something special for your family. PV

    Reply

  32. I have that painting and I it's very large, love it goes in my dining room every year, and I got it st Hobby Lobby

    Reply

  33. We always read the Christmas story in Scripture, taking turns among family members to read. It is always a very special time for our family. Our kids are now grown and they treasure this memory.

    Reply

  36. Your mom is a very, very special lady! I remember my own mother emphasizing the birth of Christ as well as spoiling us with many gifts. We always regarded the bounty as an extension of the birthday party for Jesus!

    Reply

  38. So nice, you can also choose some from Wosports:

    Laser Christmas Lights
    Portable Mobile Phone Magnifier Screen
    Mini Mixed Stage Lighting Sound
    Wosports Kids Balance Scooter
    Balance scooter removable battery
    Wosports bike safety taillights
    19-Outlet Universal Power Socket
    Wosports Wireless Touch Switch
    Wosports Waterproof Sport Camera
    Wosports 7" Wireless Baby Monitor
    7" Wireless Baby Camera
    Wosports Mini Home Cinema Projector
    Wosports Mini Multi-Function Projector
    Wosports selfie stick
    Waterproof Bike Computer Odometer
    Kids Mountain Boards

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.