Sacred Traditions

“But you shall remember the Lord your God.” –Deuteronomy 8:18

Traditions. They’re meant to usher us into a season of comfort and joy, peace and goodwill, but often leave us feeling more harried than merry. Take, for instance, the daily ritual of an Elf-on-the-Shelf’s soaking in marshmallow bubble baths, T.P.-ing the tree and plunging down zip lines over the breakfast table. For such tiny creatures, these sly imps demand an inordinately large amount of my time and sanity, commodities already in short supply over the holidays. Trying to conjure up a Norman Rockwell Christmas is not only exhausting, it’s a series of “Pinterest-fails” waiting to happen.

Santa strawberries, anyone? Nailed it.

I offer here our family’s alternative: keep it simple and sacred. We’ve decided to cut back on secular traditions—yes, our elves are high maintenance and irredeemably slothful—and instead, elevate the rituals imbued with the true meaning of Christmas to the top of our to-do list. Here are a few of our favorite traditions that keep Christ in Christmas. Join us and hold fast to the sacred in the season.

Manger on the Stairs

Before the kids race to the present-laden tree, we have a rule in our home on Christmas morning: No one goes downstairs until the Christ Child arrives. An empty manger upon the landing awaits the baby Jesus. While the kids in pajamas linger impatiently on the stairs for his debut, singing carols and ringing bells, Mom and Dad light the fireplace and prepare the cameras for the mad dash to the birthday bash downstairs.

Advent Wreath

Each Sunday of Advent, our family lights one symbolic candle and reads part of the Christmas story from an Advent book of devotions. As each week progresses, we add more characters to our toy nativity, recalling the many guests—animals, shepherds, angels and wise men—who visited the baby Jesus.

Stories by the Tree

I love snuggling with the kids, unwrapping books by the tree before tucking in for a silent night. Each year, we look for books thick with the spirit of the season to add to our collection. Few things capture our hearts like a sacred, soul-stirring story that points to Christ’s love.

Serving Together

Jesus teaches us to serve, so it’s only natural that at Christmas we look for opportunities to serve as a family. Some of our best holiday memories include ringing the Salvation Army bell, sorting sweet potatoes at Harvesters, assembling meal pouches with Stop Hunger Now and performing concerts at our local nursing home. Every blessing shared is a blessing received.

Faith & Family writer Wendy Connelly is a seminary student and mother of two from Overland Park.