Christmas Traditions

As a Christian Preschool, we pray daily and have a weekly Chapel time which is a mini-worship program for all the children and their parents.  During the month of December, we told the story of Jesus' birth through an interpretation of the book "The Donkey in the Living Room".  This book takes 9 different characters from your nativity set at home and tells the story of Jesus' birth through the eyes of those characters.  Of course there are the characters you expect; Mary, Joseph, the angel Gabriel.  But there are some you don't expect; the donkey, the cow, and the sheep. It made me think about how the different people in my family feel about Christmas.  Do they feel the same as me or do they have a different perspective?  What are their favorite things about Christmas and what does Christmas mean to them?   As we get older we look back on our childhood experience of Christmas with nostalgia.  These memories can evoke feelings of love and comfort.  We try to hold on to those traditions and feelings we had as a child.  These traditions grow and change over the years as your family changes.  Maybe you had to move away from family or as your family grew you had to make changes to what your traditions were.  Think about the Christmas traditions you have now. How have they changed from the traditions of your youth?   These changes may make you sad but remember, the traditions that you practice now will become the traditions that your children will look back on in the future as their most cherished memories.  Everyone experiences the birth of Jesus from their own personal perspective.  What an interesting conversation it would be to ask all the people in your family, "What does Jesus' birth mean to you? and What is your favorite way of celebrating His birth?"