Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas:
My cousin Ben and his wife, Rachel had us over to their house for a special Christmas Family Home Evening. He served his families' traditional Christmas Chicken Wreath, a delicious crescent wreath filled with chicken, a cream sauce and vegetables. Then we had a lesson that they presented. It has been tradition on my side of the family to have this Christmas "story" of the symbols of Christmas taught to us each year. Ben always loved this tradition and wanted to share it with our kids and I'm so glad that they did because it reminded me of how much I love this too and it is such a great way to teach our children during the Christmas season of the Savior and the true meaning of why we celebrate this season.
(For the link to where I copied the story from click here). The story begins:
"Late one Christmas Eve I sank into my easy chair. Admiring the tree with it’s decorations, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing… The kids were in bed the gifts were all wrapped: the milk and cookies were in their place for Santa. It wasn’t long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me into a deep sleep.
I don’t know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I opened my eyes and there stood Santa Claus himself next to my Christmas Tree.
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him. But he was not the “jolly old elf” of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed with tears in his eyes.
I had to ask, “Santa, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“It’s the children” Santa replied sadly.
“but the children love you.” I said.
“Oh I know they love me and the gifts I bring them,” Santa said. “But the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not their fault. It just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children.”
“Teach them what?” I asked.
Santa’s kind old face became soft and gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. “Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the parts of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch are much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas we now observe. Teach them what it is that they truly represent.”
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on the fireplace mantle. “teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen with its unchanging color represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heaven ward as a reminder that man’s thoughts should turn heaven ward as well.”
For FHE--
Scripture: Moses 1:39
sing “I lived in Heaven”
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. “The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises and that the wise will still seek Him.”
(For FHE--Sing, “Stars were Gleaming”)
“Red,” said Santa “is the first color of Christmas.” He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. “Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God’s greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave His life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red it should remind them of that most wonderful gift.”
(For FHE--Sing “Did Jesus really live again”)
Santa found a bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. “Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd who gave h is life for the sheep.”
(For FHE--Sing “Christmas Bells”)
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. “The glow of the candle represents how man can show his thanks for the gift of God’s Son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ’s footsteps. . . to go about doing good. Teach them to let their lights shine before men that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkling lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God’s precious children, their light shining for all to see."
(For FHE--Sing “I am trying to be like Jesus”)
Again, Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped candy cane. As he hung it on the tree, He spoke softly, “The candy cane is a stick of hard red and white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. The shape J to represent the precious name of Jesus who came to earth as our Savior. It also represents the crook of the Good Shepherd, which he uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs that, like sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed and a large red stripe that represents the shedding of blood of Jesus so that we can have eternal life. Teach these things to the children”
Scriptures: Luke 2:8-9; John 10:11.
Sing “The Shepherds Carol”
Santa brought out a gift bow which represents that as it is tied, we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
Lastly, Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh fragrant greenery and tied with a bright red bow. “The bow reminds us that the bond of perfection which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors red and green and the heaven turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice. Even the wreath’s very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ’s love. It is a circle without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children.”
(For FHE--Sing “Families can be together forever”)
“But where does that leave you Santa?” I asked. The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa’s face. “Why, bless you, my dear,” he laughed. “ I, too am only a symbol. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I’ll ever be forgotten. If you don’t teach the children these things, then who will?”
Other symbols you can discuss:
Angels: Angels announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds.
Scripture: Luke 2: 10-11 Sing: Hark the Herald Angels Sing
White: represents the purity of Christ as he was perfect.
Scriptures: Luke 22:44; 3 Nephi 12:48.
Gifts: Represent the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ child and the gift of the Savior that Heavenly Father gave the world.
Scriptures: Matthew 2:1, 11; John 3:16.
Holly: Represents the crown of thorns worn by Christ and the red berries, the blood drops.
After the lesson we had a great time making sugar cookies (while Ben held Zach!!!) Thanks Rachel for the awesome sugar cookies and all of the decorations! You guys did a great job and we had such a fun time!
