It’s that time of year again…when the tree is up, the Christmas lights are twinkling, the decorations fill our home, the house is warm and cozy, Christmas movies are on, baked goods fill the kitchen, and everything is so peaceful. If we could wrap all of this into a candle, it would smell so delicious.

When I was a little girl growing up, there were two Christmas traditions that made an impression upon my heart. 

One was that our parents would have my sisters and I each write something to read on Christmas morning. It could be a short paragraph on what Christmas meant to us, a memory, or a poem. We would each take our turn, proudly reading what was on our hearts.

The second tradition was so impactful to my sisters and I that we all carried it on into our own little families. My parents would give us each three gifts to open on Christmas morning, just like Jesus had. It kept us humble, and we always remembered the true meaning of Christmas. We never felt like we missed out on having the tree packed full of presents, because we knew that was never what it was about. It was, and is, always about Jesus.

What traditions did you grow up having? What traditions did you make on your own?

When our kids were little, I started making homemade cinnamon rolls for them to wake up to on Christmas morning. The really good kind—haha. The kind I wake up super early to prep and bake, the kind that I want to leave a lasting memory on their hearts. I love that we created this tradition and memory to forever have.

We can have the traditions, the smells of baked goods and food filling our homes, the memories of it all, but nothing will ever compare to the true tradition of celebrating Christmas. Our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.