A meaningful, memory-making list to center your holiday
season on what matters most.
A friend once asked me to write a column on how
to keep more Christ in Christmas. I loved the idea then—and I love it even more
now.
With each passing year, I’ve added new traditions that help
our family focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Today I’m sharing 10 Christ-centered traditions we practice during the season. Whether you adopt
one or try them all, I hope they’ll bring deeper meaning and joy to your
celebrations.
Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments—I’d love
to hear your favorite ways to make Christmas about Christ!
1. 🕯 Observe Advent with a
Heart-Prep Focus
One year, my church introduced me to the Advent wreath—four candles lit on the four Sundays before Christmas and one on Christmas Eve. I
eventually found a ceramic version I love, though the traditional greenery is
beautiful too.
Advent reminds us to prepare—not just our homes, but our hearts—to
welcome the Christ child.
🔗 More on Advent from Rev. Mark D. Roberts
2. 🎁 Hang a Stocking for
Jesus
We hang a special stocking just for Jesus. All month, we
drop spare change (and sometimes bills) into it. On the Sunday before
Christmas, we quietly give that money as a gift to Him.
⚠️ Tip: Use a sturdy stocking and
a strong hanger! Ours once fell—coin-heavy and proud—off the mantle with a
bang!
3. ❤️ Give Like the Wise Men
Just as the magi brought gifts to Jesus, we find someone in
need and give generously. Options include:
- Picking
a name off a Giving Tree
- Donating
to a missionary
- Filling
a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child
- Gifting
anonymously with another family
Even with a tight budget, giving something—together—teaches
that Christmas is about love, not lists.
4. ✨ Display a Nativity Scene (or Three)
My childhood nativity now sits in our home, and setting it up still fills me with awe. We also have:
- A kid-friendly wooden set
- A delicate glass version
- Miniature ones as ornaments
Some families hide the baby Jesus until Christmas morning, or let the wise men “travel” through the house. Choose what works for you—and let it anchor your home in the real story.
5. 🐪 Visit a Live Nativity or Walk Through Bethlehem Few things bring the story to life like a walk-through Bethlehem. Some are basic where you can walk up and see the characters, some include petting zoos or hot cocoa and donut holes, and some are full-blown villages! We’ve stood in line to sign the census and received free "coins" to spend, chatted with vendors whispering about the Messiah, dodged roaming Roman guards, and quietly entered the stable to find Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.
Unforgettable.
6. 🎄 Decorate with
Meaningful Ornaments
Among our candy canes and snowmen are nativity ornaments, angels (given to me by my mom mostly but some Hallmark as well) and
handmade beaded crosses. These tiny decorations speak big truths from the
branches of our tree.
7. 📺 Watch A Charlie
Brown Christmas
It never fails: Linus steps forward, recites Luke 2, and
something in my heart melts. A cartoon that boldly proclaims the Gospel? Yes,
please. Every year.
8. 💌 Send Christ-Centered
Christmas Cards
Whether you choose cards with Scripture, a peaceful scene,
or just a thoughtful note about your faith—your cards can encourage and uplift
those who receive them.
9. 🕯 Attend a Candlelight
Service (or Create One at Home)
Nothing beats a candlelit Christmas Eve service. But if your
church doesn’t offer one, light a few candles at home and gather your family
for a short devotion. It’s a beautiful, quiet moment to reflect.
10. 🎂 Bake a Birthday Cake
for Jesus
Who doesn’t love birthday cake? Make one for Jesus, light a
candle, and sing. Or, as we did one year, make cupcakes with a candle on every one of them.
Kids adore this tradition, and it beautifully reminds them that Christmas is a birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Jesus!
BONUS! Read Christmas Picture Books from Different Perspectives
After you read the story of Jesus’ birth in the Bible, try reading picture books featuring the nativity story. Enjoy the beautiful illustrations and stories written from the perspective of the innkeeper, a shepherd, an angel, or even a donkey. Authors have gotten creative over the years, and these stories help children (and adults!) experience the wonder of Christmas in fresh ways.
Newsflash! This is the perfect place to announce that my debut picture book, Meanwhile Back at the Manger, will be available this fall through my publisher, Ambassador International! This version of the birth of Jesus is written from the POV of the stable boy, whose stable is where the holy family spends the night—but Thomas has abandoned his post for a night of fishing. What’s happening back at the manger? Will Thomas ever know what he is missing?
What Are Your Christ-Centered Traditions?
These are just a few ways my family brings Christ into the
center of Christmas. Maybe you do something totally different. I’d love to
know about it!
🎄 Drop your favorite
traditions in the comments and share the joy!
#KeepChristInChristmas #FaithAndFamily #JesusIsTheReason
#FamilyTraditions #MeaningfulChristmas #ChristmasTips #ChristmasinJuly #ChristmasPlanning
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