Celebrating Christmas

Sharing Christ’s Love

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. For many people Christmas is a time of joy and love. For others, it may be hard especially if it is the first Christmas without a loved one. Our family focuses on the true meaning of Christmas and tries to not get caught up in the commercialization of the holiday season.

Christmas is a birthday celebration

As Christians, we celebrate Jesus’s birthday on Christmas. Although this is likely not the day he was actually born, celebrating the coming of Christ is important to us. Just as you likely have a birthday cake and candles for your birthday, it is fun with kids to bake a cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus. This reminds us of the beauty and simplicity of the holiday. It’s such a simple and sweet Christmas tradition.

Setting up the nativity

Many families set up nativities. My daughter has a nativity that isn’t breakable so that the grandkids can move the characters around. Sometimes the shepherd and sheep are out in the pasture. Other times they make their way to the stable to worship baby Jesus. Some families do a super sweet tradition where baby Jesus doesn’t arrive in the nativity until Christmas eve or morning since that is the day we celebrate his birth.

The wise men are also part of most of our nativity sets. We do know that they were not there for his actual birth and likely arrived months to even a year or so later. Matthew 2:11 states that these men arrived at a house. Having them part of the set allows us to talk about how Jesus came for everyone from the lowly shepherds to the educated.

Christmas services

Our family regularly attends church. We especially love the advent season which is celebrated in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. This is a time to prepare our hearts for Christmas and stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

Gift Giving

We give gifts at Christmas to show our friends and family that we love, care for, and appreciate them. Picking out a gift especially for someone takes thought and time and in some cases financial sacrifice. The practice of gift giving whether at Christmas, a birthday or just because is so kind.

My grandkids give some of the sweetest gifts: handmade gifts. Cards with handprints, handmade ornaments, freshly baked cookies, and other homemade items are always so sweet to me because they are made with love. Someone took the time to make something just for me. <3 My youngest daughter is quite talented and makes personalized gifts with decals. Her work looks so professional, but I also value the time she puts into making gifts.

Celebrating with loved ones

I hope you’ve been able to focus your time this holiday season on spending time with those you love. Create traditions that can outlast this generation. If you have recently lost a loved one, remembering them as you repeat these traditions can be super sweet and special. For those of us who have found love and forgiveness in Christ, we celebrate that we will see those loved ones again in heaven. To us the love, forgiveness, and sacrifice that Jesus made for us is the ultimate gift and reason we celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all, and I hope you have a wonderful New Year. If you are looking for a venue for a celebration or wedding in 2023 or 2024, I’d love to meet with you and your family to discuss how The Carriage House is a fit for your event. Please reach out for a tour.

All my best,

‍