How Do You Keep Christmas Focused on Christ? See What These 3 Families Do
“Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season.” —President Thomas S. Monson
“Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season,” taught President Thomas S. Monson in a 2012 First Presidency Christmas Devotional.
Three families shared with the Church News traditions that help them and their families keep the Christmas season focused on Christ.
“Next to my regular tree, I have a little tree that is completely focused on the Savior. I call it our “Christ” tree. Each decoration points our hearts and minds towards Him. It’s little so my kids can easily see and touch it. We start out with some basic ornaments as the background and then each morning up until Christmas, the little tree gets decorated with a new picture of Jesus. Each morning we have a special little family devotional and at the end my kids open a little gift box with a small picture of the Savior and a little candy treat. The kids love the surprise aspect and getting to hang something
new each day. I love that when Christmas finally arrives, our tree will be filled with pictures of our Savior.” —Kristy Nielsen
“We collect Nativity sets whenever we travel so we put them up around our home to remind us of the real meaning of Christmas. We listen to lots of Christmas music, and read certain scriptures daily that talk about the Savior, in addition
to our daily family scripture study. We also participate in service to our neighbors and community and host a Christmas Day potluck for ward members, investigators, or community members who don’t have a place to go that day. [By doing these things] we feel the Spirit more abundantly, we make new friends, and we stay focused on the Savior. —Cathy Liggett, Greenville Ward, Heath Texas Stake
“One way we focus on Christ is to hold a ‘Bethlehem Supper’ on Christmas Eve where everyone dresses up and ‘becomes’ a character from the Bible. The dinner is at Mary’s parents home on the eve of her departure with Joseph to go to Bethlehem. We discuss the long journey, the pregnancy, Herod’s oppression, how Joseph and Mary feel about the baby,
and any other questions or topics that come up while everyone stays in character and eats the feast made up of foods they could have eaten—figs, dates, unleavened bread, fish, and grape juice. —Richard and Linda Eyre, Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake Stake
