Keeping Christmas Simple

"Every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.” So rages Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's 1843 tale A Christmas Carol. As the story begins, Scrooge doesn't care much for Christmas. To the miserly businessman, Christmas is “a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer.”

For Scrooge, there is no justification for the holiday. It's all “Humbug.” And many sincere people, Christians included, feel the same way. Why? The reasons are as varied as the number of Christmas specials on TV. Everything from its pagan links to the solstice festival, to the idolisation of the mythical Santa Claus who brings children unhealthful sweets and useless toys, to the materialism that often overshadows any spiritual significance—all these and more are reasons given by some to say “Humbug” to Christmas.

But is a Scrooge-like rejection of the holiday the only valid option? Our children are a part of the culture in which we live, and it's a difficult matter to pass over the day without giving it some attention. Admittedly, it's pleasant to receive a gift from those we love. It's an assurance that we aren't forgotten, and it can bind us a little closer to them. It's OK to share these tokens of our love, provided we don't forget the Christ of Christmas in the process.

My wife and I try to find a balance between the hype and real hope that can be communicated at this time. Here's a short list of things we've done to keep Christ in Christmas—and to keep it simpler:

1. Find new ways to tell the Christmas story.

Since our daughters were young, there's always been a Christmas “pageant” at the Maxwell house. Those of you with sons may not be able to relate to this. But girls love play-acting and dressing up in costumes. It's a tradition that we reenact Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem on donkey-back—every year. Never mind that we never had a stuffed donkey and therefore had to use a large stuffed sheep as a stand-in for Mary's mode of transportation.  

2. Create family traditions

In addition to the annual home pageant, we have other traditions that help make Christmas time family time. A Christmas Eve dinner of chilli and tamales before piling into our van to tour the Christmas lights around town; reading aloud about the “worst children in the history of the world” and their insane cat in The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever; dragging everyone to a Christmas-tree farm to choose just the “right” tree that's not too tall, too short, too fat or skinny—these are traditions that cement the family together and fill our mental albums with happy memories that will last a lifetime.

3. Bless someone else

To prevent the holiday from becoming an indulgent celebration of self-gratification, it's important to give something of yourself to others. Last year, before heading out to see the lights, our family made several calls on neighbours who were shut in from Christmas festivities by age or illness. We sang carols to them, delivered small gifts, and prayed with them.

4. Encourage generosity

Our children love receiving gifts. (Do you know any who don't?) But Suzette and I are proud of our kids' love for giving as well. They don't want anyone left out at the gift exchange.

5. Worship the King

A tradition that my parents started with my brother and me continues in my home. Before presents are opened on Christmas morning, we gather first to worship the King. We sing a few carols at the piano, read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and then pray prayers of thanksgiving to the One who gave so much to provide us with the gift of salvation.