I just trying to figure out some good traditions for my family — I have no problem being syncretistic if I am not compromising the core of my faith or my love for Jesus. I’m actually thinking of integrating some ideas from Jewish traditions into my family (my dad is Jewish, but not practicing,) because I think they Jews are better than most Christians at bringing traditions to life in a way that affirms the stories of their history, the lessons they want to teach their children and creating family intimacy and memories together in a dynamic, hands-on way. And I thought, “well, we still preach from the hebrew bible, so why not take some of the goodie traditions and appropriate them as well!” We’ll see how this pans out in real life.

As for Christmas, we have been celebrating advent this year by lighting a candle, reading the Christmas story from Luke. We were opening a window each night, until my son threw up all over the calendar and I couldn’t find a new one at the store. So now we are just having a chocolate and eggnog (USUALLY we eat healthy, I promise!)We say something we are thankful for and say a prayer for ourselves, our family and the world, then blow out the candle.

On the 25th we are celebrating with extended family then doing a Saint Nicholas and the shoes thing on January 6th, partly for the sales and also because my daughter LOVES shoes. I’m going to be in trouble when she hits the tweens!

I agree with others who’ve posted here in their choices to celebrate among their family members and friends. I, too, choose to celebrate the Christmas season with all the trimmings. We set up a nativity and decorate a Christmas tree. We go to parties and exchange gifts with loved ones. I still hold on to the legend of Santa Claus, and I believe his special story is adaptable within the Christian context. I have no problem with a person choosing to celebrate (or not) in a different way. I believe it would be wrong to assert my celebration style as normative for others in my community. As a Christian, I believe such assertions are irrelevant and counter-productive (even detrimental) to our mission as followers of Jesus.

Thank you for a forum in which to express myself on this question. Happy ChanukahChristmasKwanzaa!

I’m starting to really love the season as we make our own memories and special, meaningful traditions.

In response to the button wearing etc. I guess I am the type that hopes my life and way of living shares how I feel about the season. Many in my family are sporting bumper stickers saying “Merry CHIRSTmas…it’s worth saying.” I have said before, I am not a fan (personally) of bumperstickers. Sometimes I wonder how productive those kinds of things are. Does it give the wrong impression? Maybe I have a problem more than others, because I come from a VERY conservative, fundamentalist background (they boycott everything!)
Can Christ or the meaning of the Season, really be captured in cute slogans?

I used to dread this time of year.
December is an insanely busy time of year. As a PK (preacher’s kid), I sometimes resented the large number of social events I was expected to attend every year at this time. Many who are extroverted enjoy jumping from party to party. This introvert really doesn’t.

There was also the commercialism. I hate the pressure to buy presents for more and more people each year, many of whom I don’t know well enough to have a clue about what they’d like.

That said, I have grown to really like the religious and/or non-monetary aspects of this time of year. The carols, the lights, the way people grow softer, more loving for a few weeks.

Strangely enough, I married someone who feels the same way. We don’t do gifts with anyone, but we do celebrate it in other ways: I bake cookies, he calls his family to see when they want to get together for Christmas dinner. We contemplate the best way to decorate our apartment.