One of the annual blessings of the holiday season are the traditions. It seems that everyone, unbelievers included, have some sort of special and meaningful Christmas traditions.
What’s more, believing families have particularly Christian traditions that they practice. And this is more where my interest lies. After all, the emotional sentiment carried in secular traditions pivot on the enjoyment of general revelation, things created; whereas, Christians enjoy the traditions that are rooted in special revelation, things recreated redemptively through the giving of Christ the Son.
HOW ABOUT SOME HELP?
This is where I turn to you for some help. I am asking what you do as a family to celebrate Advent. Or if you don’t have a family, what did you do growing up or what do you do now? Do you have any special traditions that you do year after year?
WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS YEAR
As for our family we change things up quite a bit. There are some years when we have a tree, lots of decorations, and open presents and other years we do not. This year, no tree and some presents (1 opened each Monday in December–to help the kids slow down and enjoy them). We always drive around the rich neighborhoods and look at Christmas lights too.
In addition we always read the story of the incarnation. Sometimes we do it in one or two sittings, other times we do it over a longer period.
This year we are going through the month of December and highlighting a number of specifics in the Old Testament that helped narrow down who the Redeemer would be. I asked my little girls to make a craft that we could capture each of the descriptions behind a fold-out window. Then at the end, if they can give me all (or a majority of them) I’ll give them a treat. The plan then would be to take all of these labels and show how they converge upon the incarnation and ministry of Jesus.
Here is a picture of the crafts they made. They are ambitious little Biblical Theologians, they have 44 windows! I think there is more than enough.
If you can’t see the first window it says, He is a man. “Gen. 3, He will crush your head and he will bruise your ankle.” (We’ll take it). Then we will look at the fact that the he will come from Abraham (Jewish), then he will be from Judah (Gen. 49), etc.. And on and on we’ll go. I am excited.
Here is a close up of the window:
Again, let me know what you do or are doing. This could be a very helpful resource for Christians (young or old) to get new ideas and enhance their Advent celebrations. I will plan to compile what I get on Facebook, Twitter, and here in the comments into a future post. Thanks for your help!