9 Ways to Keep Christmas Alive in Your Home
It’s that time of year again. After all of the halls have been decked and the pine needles swept up. After you’ve heard little voices questioning, “Is it Christmas yet?” for the hundred-thousandth time. After the last present has been opened and all of the wrappings thrown away. After that warm, cozy feeling ebbs away because the buildup of the “most wonderful time of the year” has come and gone. Yes, it’s after Christmas.
The days following December 25th can be odd. The thing we’ve been looking forward to all year long, Christmastime, is over. And sometimes, it can be kind of a let down. This is especially true for children, who, instead of having goodies and surprises waiting for them, now wait for the dreaded return to school and a sense of normalcy in the New Year.
Even for those who center their celebrations around Jesus’ birth (not just presents, lights, and Santa Claus), the days after Christmas can still be a disappointment. We feel let down because, well, Christmas is just…over. The effervescent, infectious joy of the season that makes us more charitable and loving is (or seems to be) gone.
But even though we may be singing the post Christmas blues right about now, here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be this way! After all, it’s not as if Christ’s birth is any less special or relevant outside of December. In fact, plenty of exciting things happened after the first Christmas!
It was after Jesus had been born that the angels appeared to some lowly shepherds on a hillside, proclaiming the arrival of their long awaited Messiah.
It was after the shepherds visited the child that they began to spread the Good News.
It was after His birth that the wise men from the East brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, starting the tradition we follow today of giving gifts at Christmas time.
Calvary, the Resurrection, Pentecost, the birth of the Church… All after Christmas.
So how do we keep that same joyous, exciting spirit we seem to feel only during the holidays year round?
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes,
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
These Godly characteristics are a sign, to ourselves and others, that Christ has come; not just to abide with us like He did at the first Christmas, but to abide in us. It is important that we remember to make a space for him to dwell—in our hearts, families, marriages, relationships—THIS will keep the true spirit of Christmas, His Spirit, alive long after December 25th is over. So, when all of the decorations have come down and the lights on the tree are put away until next year, let the light of Jesus continue to shine through you and your family. Because sometimes, the best things happen after Christmas.
Here are 9 kid-friendly activities to help cultivate a “fruit-filled” home:
- Love - Have your children write out “Gifts of Service” they can give to everyone in the family. Include a date when it will be fulfilled. Let them design and decorate like a gift certificate!
- Joy - Have Family Fun night! Pick out a new board game, puzzle, or other fun activity to do together as a family.
- Peace - Have a “Media Free” Day. That includes social media, games, screen time, news, etc. Instead, try going on a walk or fun outing. This would be a great opportunity to have a Family Devotional night.
- Patience - Write a letter to a grandparent, relative, or friend! In your letter, ask for one in return. Decorate and mail the card. Talk about how you will wait for a letter to come back and how they will have to be patient to wait for it (you can let the recipient know ahead of time so they can look for it; you may also want to include a return stamp and envelope as well).
- Kindness - Do one thing that expresses kindness to someone else. Donate to a local charity or homeless shelter. Volunteer at a nursing home. Make a meal for someone in need. Bring a bag of pet food to a local pet shelter. Write a thank you note for your mail carrier or take some hot chocolate to your local law enforcement. The possibilities are endless!
- Goodness - Brainstorm with your kids on what a “good deed” is (examples: giving someone a compliment; holding the door open for someone; completing a chore/job without being asked). Write these down on notecards and place them in a “Good Deed” jar by your door. Encourage your child to grab one every morning/once a week and fulfill the prompt on the card. At dinner, talk about what good deeds they accomplished that day.
- Faithfulness - Help your kids keep their commitments! Create a chore/activity chart for the things that should be done on a daily/weekly basis (cleaning rooms, washing dishes, practicing piano, etc.) . At the end of the day or week, check off each task that is completed. For an added spiritual bonus, include Bible reading on that list!
- Gentleness - Make a “Gentle Words” jar. Talk with your kids about the difference between harsh and gentle words. Allow them to decorate a Mason jar or plastic container. Over the next week, it is their mission to fill up the jar with gentle words and actions. Each time they do this, they get to put a pom pom in the jar! See how fast they can fill it.
- Self-control - Choose one activity or object you love that can be given up for the day. This can be a favorite food item, toy, game, music, etc.
You can do one or all of these activities, do them in order or mix them up, do them all at once or spread them out…the possibilities are endless! You can also adjust to fit your family’s needs and learning levels. There are many other ideas you can find on Pinterest or Google. Try implementing them into your daily routines and see how the atmosphere in your family shifts within the coming year!
