Today is the day!!! You know the one, the day right before THE day. The day in which everyone is buzzing with excitement and anticipation. This day, in truth, is my absolute favorite. I love the unity that we feel in our home. I love the service that we seek to give. I love that my kids are just a little kinder to each other as they know something SO fun is coming their way tomorrow. If I could bottle up the happy feeling of Christmas Eve and sell it, I would be a rich woman for sure!!!
This day is also heavy with tradition for so many!! I LOVE tradition!! (cue Fiddler On The Roof’s “Tradition!!!!” song now!!! 😉 ) I love starting new ones, continuing old ones, and hearing of other people’s traditions. I enjoy having a glimpse into what makes things special for others. It is our traditions that give us a sense of community and belonging and something to look forward to. So, I wanted to share just a couple of things that make Christmas Eve special for us!
Every Christmas Eve we open up 1 present–it’s always new pajamas. My kids love opening them, running upstairs to change into them and coming back to get ready to act out the Nativity while I read from Luke 2 in the Bible.
My husband is always the donkey–he has found his true role. HA!
We then consider the ultimate gift of CHRISTmas. That HE was given to save us all. He gave us the perfect example. He gave us His love and light, and ultimately gave us His life. So as we celebrate His birth, we pass out a small paper for each person to write down what gift they would like to give Jesus. This becomes the precursor to the goals we set for ourselves for the new year. Some people write down love and promise to share love with others more. Some of us promise to give more of our time to Him, maybe devote more effort in thinking about Him throughout the week. Whatever it is, we mostly don’t share what we’ve written. I then collect the papers and stick them in an envelope that we address to Jesus–just His name, not sure I’d get the address correct ;). Then we stick it on the tree as a reminder that He is the reason we celebrate. I later take out the paper and have my kids tape it in their journal as a reminder of the gifts that we want to give Him.
After being reminded of the true meaning of the season, we pass out candles while we all sit in a circle on the floor. One of us begins by lighting our candle and choosing a Christmas carol to sing. We all sing it together and then the person that chose the song chooses someone else to pick a song to sing by lighting their candle, and so on. I love the symbolism of Christ being the light of the world. I also love that when we begin with one candle lit it is so dim in the room. It becomes brighter as we share our light with others in the room. This is a tradition that came from my husband’s family and is definitely a favorite amongst my children. Call it pyromania if you like, but with a paper plate to catch the wax, or extra hands to steady little ones, this tradition brings a sweet sense of calm and reverence right before we go to bed.
Every Christmas I try to get each of my kids that one perfect gift that will totally make their day. Sometimes I get so caught up in it that I forget that the ultimate gift has already been given to them, and to me. May we all sit in the reminder of that truth more tomorrow, and every day!!
One of my sisters starts Christmas morning by saying something to the effect of, “Remember, up until this moment, you have had everything you’ve needed, so anything else you get today is totally a bonus!” I love that reminder that gratitude is the right response, no matter what the gift.
Merry Christmas, friends!!! May you find yourself surrounded by those you love, and enjoying the traditions that make this time of year special for you!!! Sending you all love and light this beautiful season!! Happy Holidays!!!
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Kayleen
