Your Family Christmas Story
This Advent season, we have traveled the world and learned about the unique traditions that are part of Christmas in other people's homes. From the Gävle Goat, to the Yule Lads and their Christmas Cat, to the spiderweb tree decorations, some of you have probably even made some of these traditions a part of your family's Christmas preparations. But every single one started somewhere – maybe hundreds of years ago – before becoming a part of an entire country's tradition. They all started as part of somebody's family story.
If one of your family's Christmas traditions was our Family Time activity for today, what would it be? Would there be a special recipe everyone can try? A craft we could all make? An activity we could all do with our own families? A special prayer or reflection? We'd like to share a story with you, from our dear friend Eileen, who shared it in person during tonight's 4:30 service:
Blessed with two small children to entertain, and an overabundance of ornaments, Eileen's family created a brand new tradition – the human Christmas tree! The photographic evidence reveals that the children who participated were slightly more enthusiastic than the adult being used as a tree, but the activity was joyful and unique enough to become a regular part of their Christmas celebrations. And another family story starts to take shape…
Our family stories are sacred. They make us feel connected to something larger than ourselves. They give us self esteem and a sense of belonging. As you celebrate this year – whether it's with family by birth or by choice, whether you're in the same room or thousands of miles apart – spend some time reflecting on your Christmas story. If you already have some beloved traditions, talk about where they came from – you might even find that different people have different pieces of the story, and you never could've put them all together on your own. If nobody knows where the tradition came from, that's part of the story too! And if you'd like, create a brand new Christmas tradition, like Eileen's family did, and tell that story for years to come.
Merry Christmas, everyone! We invite you to share your Christmas stories with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram – we'd love to experience the holiday along with you.
