It took a while, but I finally found a manger scene Christmas tree ornament. I walked into a large "holiday" shop thinking I'd have no trouble but that is increasingly becoming untrue. I imported some of my Christmas CD's into iTunes the other day and searched for them under "Christmas" only to find that the new iTunes calls them "holiday" CD's. I stubbornly took a half an hour changing the genres of all the tracks to "Christmas." As a Christian parent I am realizing that keeping Christ in Christmas is going to take more intentionality than ever before.
I grew up with a tradition that I recommend to anyone with children. My family kept a "Christmas Banner," or that's what we called it at least. My mother hand cut pictures out of colored felt to be pinned on a hunter green felt banner adorned with twenty-four small red squares. At the top the banner read "God's Gift to Us, Jesus." She also made a maroon lacy plush folder with a pocket to contain all the felt pictures and a guide to tell us which picture to pin up each day. I inherited this banner when Anna was born.
Each night in December we sit down, open the folder and pull out the appropriate picture. Tonight we'll pull out a blue package with a red bow and talk about Jesus as God's gift. We'll read Luke 2:10-11 and then sing O Come Little Children.
You don't have to make one yourself. I found a Good Advent Calendar online and didn't bother looking for one in a store to recommend. Let's hold on to what has been passed down to us and keep the chain unbroken for future generations. Let's tell about God's gift like the angel told the shepherds long ago.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you ; he is Christ the Lord.
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