Jesus' Birthday Party

Every year our family celebrates Jesus' Birthday after dinner on Christmas Eve {see here}. It's a fun way for the kids to understand more fully the real reason for Christmas & has helped take focus away from what they 'get' but rather, what Christ did for us by coming to earth.

My sweet friends from Bible Study came over this week and in addition to having some fun Mommy time {yes, mimosas in hand}, I thought it'd be a fun chance to celebrate Him a little early and include our kids' friends in our little tradition.

In addition to singing 'Happy Birthday' and eating red velvet cake {with crushed candy canes on top and in the filling}, our Christmas Eve version of the party also includes a few more traditions...

We also read the Christmas story in Luke 2.

Since having little ones, we've been reading it in The Message or in the Jesus Storybook Bible because it's easier for the kids to understand.

Now that Ezekiel & Anton can read, they're our readers.

The activity the kids love the most is centered around Jesus' stocking that hangs on the fireplace next to the rest of ours. I hate to leave you hanging, but I'm going to talk about it in a post next week.

After the party, the kids get to open one gift...in it contains their Christmas pj's and something fun to do that evening. Sometimes it's a book to read as a family, other times it's a movie or board game.

{last year - 2011 - our 1st with Ezekiel}

{the year before last - 2010 - our 1st Christmas with Imani}

The whole evening is centered around being a family and Jesus coming to earth. The kids talk some about Santa & presents, sure...they're kids after all...

But our jobs as parents is to turn that excitement around and rather than allow our kids to become consumed with the way our culture has told us Christmas is supposed to be, we instead talk about the Gifts Christ has given us by coming to earth.

It takes work to keep Christ in Christmas but I'm sure you'd agree that it's worth every second.