The "Light" of Christmas...A New Christmas Tradition

As my children get older, I want so badly to give them the gift of the true spirit of Christmas. I want them to think of Christ -of his birth and more importantly, of the life he led and the example he gave us. I know that if they can capture that feeling, Christmas will be so much more meaningful and will leave lasting, heart-felt memories.

I am also learning the importance of traditions. Not only are they fun, but I think they empasize the importance of certain things and bind families together in a way that nothing else can.

It was with these goals in mind that I set off to try to make Christmas a little different this year- more about "Christ" and less about "mas" (which means more.) I'm not sure how successful I was but I do feel good about one thing we did - a special candlelight dinner. My Mom always used to make candlelight dinners for really special occasions so I had thought of doing a special Christmas dinner for several years. Well this year, I finally did it! I was also given a neat idea at our RS Enrichment Christmas dinner that I incorporated into our dinner. I sent out an invitiation to everyone inviting them to a special, candlelight dinner the Sunday before Christmas. We had ham and potatoes, which we all love. After dinner, I gave everyone a candle. We all sat in a circle with another candle sitting in the center. Each family member took a turn lighting their candle and as they did, everyone else said something nice about that person. What a powerful experience! I hope my children felt the same Spirit in that room that I did. I know things like this can be awkward at times but I was really proud of everyone for coming up with creative things to say and really putting thought and feeling into it. It's amazing how hearing just a few good things about yourself can really lift you! And I know each of us needed that (probably more than we even knew.) I believe it helped in healing hearts and binding love. I hope it's something my children remember and cherish for years to come. It is definitely a tradition I want to carry forward.