Christmastime can be an incredibly stressful and rushed season for families. And the commercials, the ads, the shopping crowds…they send messages that are counter to what most of us want to teach our children about the meaning of Christmas. So the traditions we establish for our families are so important. They will reinforce the parts of the season we truly value.

My triplets are four-years-old. This year has been pivotal in the formation of our own family’s traditions because I’m pretty sure they’re going to remember what we do this year.

We tried to choose a few things that we can be consistent with…things we can do every year to add meaning and substance to our family’s understanding of Christmas. A couple of the things are just fun family activities that give us time together. Here are a few ideas:

• Create a Jesse Tree. I gave all the details of our family’s Jesse Tree HERE.
• Do the 7-night family devotion, What God Wants for Christmas.
• Go see a local Nutcracker production.
• Go caroling…either in your neighborhood or to a local nursing home or hospital.
• Bake holiday cookies and deliver them to family and friends.
• Plan at least one night of going to see Christmas lights.
• Pick at least one charitable project to do as a family.

What are some of your family’s holiday traditions? Share them with us (link to your blog if you’ve written about them).

photo credit