10 Christ-Centered Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family
Discover 10 meaningful Christ-centered Christmas traditions to start with your family, focusing on the true reason for the season. From nightly Advent readings to making a birthday cake for Jesus, these ideas will help keep Christ at the heart of your holiday celebrations.
Christmas is a season filled with joy, love, and the giving of gifts, but it’s also a time to reflect on the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ.
As we celebrate His birth, it’s important to keep our focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Creating Christ-centered traditions can help your family remember the reason for the season. Here are ten meaningful traditions to consider starting with your family this year.
10 Christ-Centered Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family
Here are 10 family traditions you can start this year to help your family focus on Christ during this busy season.
- Nightly Advent readings
- Christmas carol to neighbors
- Make a birthday cake for Jesus
- Christmas Eve prayer
- Read the Christmas story together
- Set up a nativity scene
- Do Shepherd on the Search with your kids
- Write letters to Jesus
- Give to someone in need
- Visit a living nativity
Keep reading for ideas to incorporate these ideas into your Christmas celebrations!
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10 Christian Christmas Traditions
Christmas traditions don’t have to be something you’ve done with your family for generations. Every tradition starts somewhere, and you can use these ideas to start your own Christ-centered Christmas traditions this year.
I love sharing classic Christmas traditions with my kids. It’s fun to do things like white elephant gift exchanges, look at Christmas lights and decorate the tree.
But I also want to share with my kids the true reason for the season. Even small children can understand that the love and joy we experience at Christmas time is because Jesus came to earth so many years ago.
These simple Christian Christmas tradition help share Jesus’ love and remind us that we give to others because He so willingly gave to us.
Here are 10 ways you can start new Christ-centered Christmas traditions this year.
Related: Create Your Christmas Prep Masterplan: Save Time, Money, and Stress This Holiday Season
1. Nightly Advent Readings
Advent is a beautiful way to prepare your hearts for Christmas. Each night, gather as a family to read a passage of Scripture that tells the story of Christ’s birth.
You can use an Advent wreath with candles, lighting a new candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Or, use an Advent Scripture plan to draw your hearts to Christ.
A simple yet powerful reading plan is to begin with the prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament and move through to the Nativity story in the Gospels.
2. Christmas carol to neighbors
Gather your family and friends to go Christmas caroling around your neighborhood or at a local nursing home.
Singing carols about the birth of Christ is a joyful way to spread the message of Christmas. You can even bring along small gifts or homemade treats to share with those you visit.
Caroling is a fun tradition to start with your family or get a group of friends together. Check with your local nursing home or assisted living center to see if they will allow you to visit.
You might also talk to your pastor about widows or shut-ins in your church. They are often lonely at this time of year and would appreciate a visit. Singing Christian Christmas songs is a great way to share the love of Jesus.
3. Make a birthday cake for Jesus
One of the sweetest ways to celebrate Christmas is to bake a birthday cake for Jesus. Gather the children in the kitchen to mix, bake, and decorate a cake as a symbol of celebrating Christ’s birth.
After your Christmas meal, sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and enjoy the cake together. This simple tradition serves as a tangible reminder that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.
Kids understand the joy of a birthday, so this is a great way to talk about Jesus coming to earth to be born. It’s hard to understand the concept of God becoming man. But it’s easy to understand having a birthday!
Related: Family Fun Night: An Idea for Each Month of the Year
4. Christmas Eve Prayer
On Christmas Eve, take time as a family to pray together. Thank God for the gift of His Son, and pray for those who are in need during the holiday season.
This could be done before bed, or as you gather around the Christmas tree. It’s a beautiful way to quiet your hearts and focus on the true meaning of Christmas amidst the hustle and bustle.
If your kids are old enough, let them take turns praying. Encourage your kids to be thankful for the gift God gave to us on Christmas morning.
5. Read the Christmas Story on Christmas Morning
Before opening presents, gather your family around the tree and read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible.
This sets the tone for the day and reminds everyone why we celebrate Christmas.
You can read from Luke 2:1-20 or Matthew 1:18-25, and encourage everyone to reflect on the significance of the birth of Christ.
If your kids are old enough, take turns reading the story together. Make it even more special by using the weeks up to Christmas to memorize Luke 2:1-20 together.
This will create powerful memories your kids will cherish forever.
6. Set up a nativity
Set up a Nativity scene in your home and use it as a teaching tool to share the story of Jesus’ birth with your children.
Allow them to move the figures and retell the story in their own words. You can even hide the baby Jesus figure until Christmas morning as a way to build anticipation for His birth.
Having a nativity in your home is a great way to remind yourself and your family of Christ’s birth.
There are so many beautiful options for nativity sets to buy, but a quick internet search will also help you find many you can DIY with your kids.
What type of nativity you have will depend on the ages of your kids, since you definitely don’t want something that will be easy for young children to break!
7. Do Shepherd on the Search with your kids.
Shepherd on the Search is a great Christian alternative to Elf on the Shelf. This fun family Christmas tradition follows a shepherd boy on his journey to see the baby, Jesus.
Kids love counting down the days to Christmas, and you’ll love being able to keep the focus on Jesus.
There are different options to choose from, depending on the ages of your kids. You can use it like Elf on the Shelf, or use the wall calendar to share a treat or Bible verse each day.
8. Write letters to Jesus
Encourage your children to write letters to Jesus instead of writing lists to Santa. Letters to Santa focus on self–what I want for Christmas.
Letters to Jesus focus on being grateful for the things we already have. In their letters, they can express their gratitude for His love and share their hopes and prayers for the coming year.
This tradition helps redirect their focus from the material aspects of Christmas to the spiritual.
9. Give to someone in need
There are always people around the holidays who need help. When we include our kids in giving, we share the true meaning of Christmas.
Giving to those in need helps kids to their blessings. It’s a great way to help kids connect God’s gift to us with giving to others.
Here are few ideas for people you may be able to help:
- a children’s home
- missionaries
- homeless or battered women’s shelters
- children who’ve lost a parent
- families of inmates
- those who’ve lost a job
You may not be in a position to do something fancy, but even little things matter. Include your kids and help them understand that we give to others because Christ gave to us.
10. Visit a living nativity.
Living nativity scenes have become very popular over the last few years, and you can probably find one not far from where you live.
Seeing actors playing the characters alongside live animals is a wonderful experience for parents and kids.
Christ-Centered Christmas Traditions for Your Family
The Christmas season is so busy, and it’s easy to forget that we’re celebrating the greatest event to ever happen in our history–the birth of our Savior.
These Christian Christmas traditions will help you and your family draw closer to Christ even during this busy season.
Participate in Shepherd on the Search with your younger kids. Or, take your older children to volunteer at a local charity. Make Jesus a part of your holiday season by focusing on giving, sharing and showing kindness to a world that needs some light at this time of year.
Use these ideas to create joyful and Christ-centered Christmas traditions for your family this year and many years to come!
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