Christmas is coming to us so not only do we start thinking about the gifts, menu, and decorations, but also about the meaning of this celebration. And out of the meaning come significant things – Christian Christmas traditions.
In today’s article, I will give you a few ideas on how to start your own habits for Christmas in your marriage, strengthening not only your faith but also your relationship.
It is truly important to celebrate the Birthday of Jesus, our Savior. But, we all can agree on that, it is also soooo easy to fall into the trap of secular culture and mindlessly follow creepy Santa Claus and the golden reindeer.
Where is the balance? Where is the middle ground? How do you allow your marriage to “feel the spirit” of Christmas and enjoy the good things the culture offers, without forgetting the true meaning of Christmas?
I know it might be a challenge. But we are going to face it together and find a solution. Ready for the ride on Polar Express? 😉
The Main Focus of Christmas
Many people tend to forget what it really should be about. I will never understand why even atheists celebrate Christmas. 🙂 I mean, decide – whether you believe and take everything or you don’t and you also skip on “privileges” out of being a Christian.
Sorry, that was a side note. But I know you see this too, my dear reader. Inside the cult around the decorations and the Christmas spirit, and the essence of it all is often neglected.
Now, I am not saying Christmas trees and gifts are bad. It’s rather the opposite, I believe all these little things have their symbols. A tree symbolizes a new life, and the gifts are the representation of God’s gift for us which was sending the Messiah.
Of course, the culture won’t tell us these deeper meanings. But our job as Christians is to always remember, and be focused on the Person who we celebrate. Of course, one can add some things that make this time of the year more special, but to some extent only. There is a thin line between Christian Christmas traditions and making it all about silly Santa Claus.
Speaking of – before I give you some ideas on seasonal habits that you can implement as a Christian marriage, we should cover first the worldly traditions that you should avoid at all costs. And sadly, modern culture is full of them.
Non-Christian Christmas Traditions You Should Skip On
Traditions are an individual thing, actually. Sure, some of them are national or religious, but the truth is, each family has their own little habits. This is not wrong, of course.
But also, one should always be careful with these traditions. They should always represent the values a family follows. The suggested list of “bad” traditions is based on my observations and you don’t necessarily need to agree with it.
If your heart is in the right place, you will know which traditions to keep, and which ones to let go of. But sometimes a tradition is so engraved in our nation or family that nobody even gives it a more careful look. This is what we are going to do now:
1. Santa Claus Who?
I never understood that “trend”. Why would you lie to your children and pretend some random grandpa brings them gifts? Is it really that bad to tell them the truth? Dear child, this gift is from your parents who love you very much.
For me, saying that the gifts are from Santa Claus, is just a lie, and once a child is old enough to realize it is not true, they will feel betrayed (talking from my experience as well). Not to mention that Santa Claus with his big belly and mysterious bells ringing can scare the good morning out of me.
Bringing another “hero of Christmas” into the picture just makes us all forget more about Jesus. I’m sorry, but I think we all much rather be focused on the Mighty Savior of the World during His celebration than a creepy bearded overweight man.
I don’t mean to be rude or something – you know what’s best for your family and you’ll decide accordingly. But honestly, I think Christmas would not only have a deeper meaning but also would be more family-centered if we just threw out this stupid Santa Claus.
Stop lying to your children – the true story of Chrismas itself is more full of magic than “Father Chrismas”.
2. The Magical First Star? No, Thank You.
Some families wait to open the gifts when the first star is out, and some of them wait till Grandpa Heniek stops eating (sorry Grandpa, I had to ;)).
As long as waiting for the first star to appear is innocent, what happens afterward is not really. “Think the wish and it will come true”. Yeah… for sure.
Sure, believing in dreams and having positive thoughts is certainly a good thing, but why would we give the power of God to a small tiny star? Okay, maybe not so tiny, but you get the idea.
Stars do not fulfill wishes. It’s God who listens to the prayers.
For this very reason, I do not think it’s wise to engage yourself and your family in such beliefs. Yes, they seem cute and innocent, but on a deeper level, they are simply blasphemy.
3. Mistletoe? Hm…
Not many people know the origin of kissing under this plant. I didn’t either. Even after finding it out, I’ve decided to keep this tradition in my family, since we gave it a new meaning, and it’s purely for decorative reasons (and kisses obviously ;)).
Turns out the mistletoe was a sacred plant for pagans symbolizing fertility. No wonder they were handing it all over the place!
If knowing the origins of this tradition makes you uncomfortable, it is better to skip on this one. Yet if it doesn’t, that’s fine. Because if something had a bad beginning, doesn’t mean it cannot turn out into something good, right?
You need to examine things and ask God what’s right for your family. In the meantime, we have a few good ideas for you – below you can find a list of Christian Christmas traditions that you can start in your marriage:
Christian Christmas Traditions – Read the Bible Aloud
We always do that with my family, and I made sure to pass it into my marriage as well. We pick a volunteer to read aloud a passage of the Bible about Jesus’ birth. Everybody stands around the table, dressed up, and respectfully listening to the Word.
This moment is always so serious and deep, ensuring we all are reminded why are we gathered there, and what is the celebration about.
Reading the Bible aloud is always different than reading it in thought – the Word sounds so real and uncovers new meanings. Especially, if a reader has a talent to recite the passage with emotions and the deserved depth.
That’s why we recommend adding an honorable and special Bible reading to your group of Christian Christmas traditions. Starting this day with such a God-centred gesture ensures our hearts are where they should be and sets the mood.
Have Peace with Everyone – Christmas Eve Wafer
What a surprise it was for me when I discovered my husband had never heard about this tradition. As a child, I thought everybody in the whole world shared the Christmas Eve wafer. Still, I think it’s one of my favorite Christian Christmas traditions one can implement.
The thing looks like this – a family buys a Christmas Eve wafer and before anyone sits down to eat, you need to share it with every single person (sometimes even animals haha) in the room, to make peace with them if you were in a conflict, or to wish them good things. You can say something kind and simple, or tell them something truly deep and personalized, it is up to you.
I think it sets our hearts in the right direction – erases the tension if there was any, and proves that hey, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isn’t it a lovely Christmas habit?
Dress Up According to the Occasion
I know not everybody will like that one, but we found it important to dress up elegantly for Christmas, no matter if we spend it with my big family, or just the two of us, plus a dog.
Some might say – but Jesus looks at our hearts!
Yes, you’re absolutely right. At the same time, if a King was born and you were called to celebrate His Birthday, wouldn’t you wear your best clothes? Exactly.
For us it shows the seriousness of the day and displays the deep respect we have for the newborn King. Also, dressing up for Christmas is good for your marriage – you both look your best and put together, and it is easy to be reminded of the dating stage 😉
Sometimes something as “unimportant” as clothes can point people to God. So for this very reason, we think including this tradition in the pile of Christian Christmas traditions is worth it.
Merry Christmas and Merry Christian Christmas Traditions!
I hope this article encouraged you to review the Christmas habits you have been practicing so far and exchange the doubtful ones with the honorable ones, which shift our focus back to Jesus.
As a Christian marriage, you are creating a foundation for another family, so it is wise to invest in building traditions from the very beginning. Your future kids will thank you for this, I promise.
So Merry Christmas! Might God bless you and your traditions!