Ever since we came to Delhi, we have made setting up our family Christmas tree an exciting event for our kids. It's something they start looking forward to from the beginning of November.
Now setting up the tree in itself can be quite a laborious and arduous task, (especially since we've had one of our children in the toddler stage every single time we've set it up!) but if you make a party out of it, then even the difficult task of untangling Christmas lights can be fun.
And so began our tradition of setting up the Christmas tree. Every year on November 25th, we set up our tree. We invite friends who don't have family members close by, or just about anyone who likes to decorate a tree. With loud Christmas music playing in the background and excited kids running around, we set up our tree. My husband, being a perfectionist, will take down the lights and put them back on at least a dozen times before he smiles in satisfaction.
When everything is done and the last ornament is finally hung up, we all sit around the tree. We pass out chocolate chip cookies and steaming mugs of hot cocoa. Then we all settle down and my husband reads Luke 2:1-20 for us. He then explains to our kids why we actually celebrate Christmas. He talks to them about a helpless little baby born in a manger. About a teenager who obeyed the will of God and carried the child to term. About the shepherds who heard the good news and ran to see Jesus. About the angels who proclaimed the good news.
Then he asks them what they understood from the story. And it's amazing to see how their understanding of Scripture has grown over the years. Finally, he explains to them that there is another tree that we remember at this time. More than the tree we just set up, it is that tree that gives us true joy and life. Jesus lived a perfect life, which we could never live, and on the cross, Jesus paid the ultimate penalty for our sins that we could never pay. And as we sit around our living room, the warm glow of the Christmas lights filling the room, the gospel just warms our heart to worship this Savour.
We have enjoyed this little family tradition of ours. What is something that you do as a family during this time? Or something that you have done growing up? Share with us, we would love to hear from you.
Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash
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While growing up, we would always put up the tree on December first. I have such fond memories of putting up the tree with my family. We would sing Christmas carols together pretty much every night during December. I am so thankful I learnt so many hymns/carols just because my parents made it a point to sing with us! We're still establishing Christmas routines as a family (husband, daughter and me). One of them is to buy a new Christmas book every year to gift to our daughter and read it on Christmas Eve 🙂 Thanks for sharing what y'all do!
Living down in the south hemisphere, Christmas was in the middle of summer, so we didn't have real trees and being short in finance we couldn't afford for a game one either. Hence our biggest tradition was to "invent" a new tree every year. Sometimes it would be dry guava tree branches, or plastic bottles, or card paper... every year there was much expectation of how it was going to turn out, as weell as much laughter at the results and sometimes awe.. it was fun..