Traditions

"and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God."

Numbers 15:40 

Today I thought I'd share with you some traditions my family has, especially with all the upcoming holidays.  Daddy and Mamma have always tried to teach us to remember what Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Resurrection Sunday are all about.  Unfortunately in this day and age people think that Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy a huge meal, Christmas is the day you receive presents, and Resurrection Sunday is a time to search for easter eggs.  While each of these "traditions" are not bad in themselves we believe it's important to remember why they are here in the first place.

Some friends and some siblings re-enacting the First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Traditions: Every year we are reminded about the Pilgrims and God's Providence to them through the Thanksliving Treasure Box by Family Life.  Easy to understand this resource is excellent for families with young children.  With several colorful paintings and figurines of corn, the Mayflower, the cross, etc. my siblings have no problem sitting still and listening to the short devotional.  Another thing we do is get a piece of Thanksgiving-themed stationary and write down specific things we are thankful for from this past year.  We then store it in a safe place to look back on in the coming years.

Our traditional manger scene

Christmas Traditions: Several years ago my parents decided to switch the traditional Christmas tree for a nativity scene.  Every year the week-end after Thanksgiving, Daddy cuts up a small tree and sets the logs in a semicircle around a straw-floored manger scene.  Daddy handmade a small manger and on Christmas Eve Baby Jesus is placed gently in his straw bed (usually a spare baby doll ;).  About one week before Christmas day the "Wise-men" arrive.  Three gunny sack bags, tied with gold string, suddenly appear around the manger scene.  Inside are the presents which we enjoy opening as a family on Christmas Eve morning (we have our Christmas a day before since we're usually at a grandparents' house on Christmas Day).  About 2 weeks before Christmas we enjoy reading through our Adornaments.  This creative devotional contains the different Scriptural names of Jesus and defines them.  This helps us to remember what, or rather Who, Christmas is all about.

One fancy Resurrection lunch

Resurrection Sunday Traditions: This is the one holiday that isn't the same every year. We've celebrated the Jewish Passover before, enjoyed a fancy Easter lunch, loved on a newborn sibling (only 3 days old), etc.  One thing that is consistent though is our 12 eggs of the Resurrection.  Each one contains some symbol of the last supper, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord.  When the eggs are all passed out we listen intently as daddy explains each symbol and their Biblical meaning.

The whole things with traditions is to remember that Jesus is to be the center of everything!  This is hard to remember especially with the business of the season but it's so important.  The Devil desperately wants us to forget the Scriptural meanings of all these (that's why he uses such tools as Santa, Easter Bunny, and Turkeys) but we must not allow it.  We, the next generation, must strive to never forget the God-whom we serve and the many traditions that were made to ultimately honor and glorify Him!
May you be blessed this Christmas season!
Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah