It is all too easy during the Christmas season to lose focus on Jesus and concentrate only on gifts, parties, decorations, and fun. Here are some ideas to help your young children learn the true meaning of Christmas...
by Stacey Schifferdecker
Beyond Santa Claus – Teaching children the true meaning of Christmas
All I want for Christmas is… a dancing Elmo and a Kidzoom camera and a Littlest Pet Shop Pet Town and…
It is all too easy during the Christmas season to lose focus on Jesus and concentrate only on gifts, parties, decorations, and fun. If even adults have trouble keeping Christmas as a celebration of Jesus’ birth, how much more difficult it is for children entangled by the excitement and mystery of Santa Claus. But you can help your young children learn the true meaning of Christmas. Incorporate some of these ideas into your Christmas festivities this year–
Have a Nightly Christmas Story Time
Libraries and bookstores are full of Christmas books – you can easily find enough to read one book every night of December. Choose books that tell the story of Jesus’ birth rather than a Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty story. Some good choices for young children include
B is for Bethlehem
God Gave us Christmas
Room for a Little One
Who is Coming to Our House
One Baby Jesus
Make this a special time each night, perhaps snuggling up in front of the Christmas tree and reading by candlelight or flashlight with a cup of hot cocoa at hand. On Christmas Eve, read the story of Jesus’ birth straight from the Bible in the book of Luke.
Give to Others
Opportunities abound to give to others at Christmas time. Perhaps your church has an “Angel Tree” where you can choose a person to buy gifts for. If not, most malls have a tree or you can contact a social services agency in your town. Children especially enjoy choosing gifts for another child their own age. As you shop together, talk about how happy the recipient of the gift will be. Talk about how Jesus is a gift for us and how we can share his love with others.
Have a Birthday Party for Jesus
Whether or not December 25 is the day Christ was actually born, it is the day we celebrate his birth. So why not have a birthday party as part of your celebration? This can be as simple as a birthday cake as part of your Christmas dinner to a children’s party with games, food, and gifts of baby items that you will donate.
Buy a Nativity Scene your Child Can Play With
You may have a beautiful heirloom nativity set as part of your Christmas decorations – obviously you don’t want your children to play with it! But you can buy plastic or plush nativity scenes and let your children act out the Christmas story. Or the kids can make their own nativity pieces out of clothespins, wooden spoons, clay, cardboard tubes, etc. Lots of ideas are available on the internet or in children’s craft books.
Choose Religious Christmas Music
Kids love music and can learn a lot by listening to it. Songs like “Rudolph” and “Jingle Bells” are fun, but your children will absorb the meaning of Christmas if you focus on more traditional Christmas carols that tell the story of Jesus such as
Away in a Manger
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Joy to the World
We Three Kings
The First Noel
Come, All Ye Faithful
Silent Night
You can also encourage your children to participate in a Christmas pageant at your church or just make one up with their friends.
Does focusing on the real meaning behind Christmas mean no more Santa? Not necessarily. Kids love Santa and his spirit of love and giving is a fun addition to Christmas. The key is to incorporate Santa without letting him overshadow Jesus’ birth. Some ways to do this include—
Telling children the story of Saint Nicholas, the real man on whom the Santa legend is based
Separate Santa gifts from Jesus’ birthday celebration. Take a cue from other cultures, where Santa gifts are given on St. Nicholas day (December 6), New Year’s Day, or Epiphany (January 6).
If you don’t want Santa gifts to be so far from Christmas day itself, make them just one part of your Christmas celebration. For example, devote Christmas Eve to a celebration of Jesus’ birth and let children open their gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. Or go to church Christmas morning and let the kids open their gifts Christmas afternoon.
By making Christ the center of your Christmas celebrations and taking time to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas, you set a firm foundation for their faith in years to come. Give your children the best Christmas gift of all – a life centered around Jesus.
How can I help my young children understand the true meaning of Christmas?
Table of Contents
The key is weaving faith into the everyday fun of the season rather than separating them. Read a Christmas storybook about Jesus’ birth each night in December, choose traditional carols that tell the Nativity story, and let your children act out the Christmas story with a plastic or plush nativity set they can handle freely. Small, consistent moments over the whole season sink in far better than a single big conversation.
Can we keep Santa Claus and still teach kids about Jesus’ birth?
Yes — the two don’t have to compete. Share the real story of Saint Nicholas, the generous bishop on whom the Santa legend is based, so your child sees Santa rooted in Christian giving. You can also separate the timing: some families give Santa gifts on St. Nicholas Day (December 6) or Epiphany (January 6), making Christmas Day itself a celebration of Jesus’ birth. The goal is keeping Jesus at the center, not eliminating the wonder of Santa.
What are some good Christmas books for kids that focus on the Nativity?
Look for titles that tell the story of Jesus’ birth in age-appropriate language. A few favorites for young children include B is for Bethlehem, God Gave Us Christmas, Room for a Little One, Who Is Coming to Our House, and One Baby Jesus. Your local library usually stocks several each December, and reading one together on Christmas Eve — straight from the book of Luke — makes a beautiful new tradition.
How can we help kids give to others as part of our Christmas celebration?
Look for an Angel Tree at your church or local mall, where you can choose a person — ideally a child close to your child’s age — to shop for. As you pick out the gift together, talk about how happy the recipient will be, and connect the act of giving to how Jesus is a gift to us. Children who choose and wrap a present for someone in need carry that experience with them far longer than any toy they receive.
Biography
Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.
Teaching children to give back brings the true spirit of Christmas to life.Sharing the real meaning of Christmas with your children creates memories that last a lifetime.
Great advice for such an important topic. I have decided to honor the Advent season this year.
This article has been included in the Carnival of Christian Women.
I’m here by way of the Carnival of Christian Women. Nice to meet you!
Some excellent ideas here…printing this post. Another great chidren’s book is “Santa’s Favorite Story” where Santa narrates the story of the Nativity to the forest animals. Have a joyous holiday. Blessings, e-Mom
Informative article. Thanks for sharing your strategies for making Jesus the reason for the season. I think I’m going to incorporate the birthday cake for Jesus this Year. I think it’s a great way to keep the focus on him.
This article is very well written. I rarely am able to read an entire blog post, but your post was interesting and well-written. I read it all and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
I would also recommend many other Christmas Carols like some of my personal favorites: O Holy Night, “Veni, Veni Emmanuel”, and Adeste Fidelis. Teaching Catholic children Latin at an early age is of principal importance.
Hodie Christus Natus Est!
These are great ideas! I will definitely try them this year with the kids. Thank you for sharing.
thanks for some excelent suggestions! ill definetly try these with the kids this year!! 😀
Great advice for such an important topic. I have decided to honor the Advent season this year.
This article has been included in the Carnival of Christian Women.
I’m here by way of the Carnival of Christian Women. Nice to meet you!
Some excellent ideas here…printing this post. Another great chidren’s book is “Santa’s Favorite Story” where Santa narrates the story of the Nativity to the forest animals. Have a joyous holiday. Blessings, e-Mom
Informative article. Thanks for sharing your strategies for making Jesus the reason for the season. I think I’m going to incorporate the birthday cake for Jesus this Year. I think it’s a great way to keep the focus on him.
This article is very well written. I rarely am able to read an entire blog post, but your post was interesting and well-written. I read it all and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
I would also recommend many other Christmas Carols like some of my personal favorites: O Holy Night, “Veni, Veni Emmanuel”, and Adeste Fidelis. Teaching Catholic children Latin at an early age is of principal importance.
Hodie Christus Natus Est!
These are great ideas! I will definitely try them this year with the kids. Thank you for sharing.
thanks for some excelent suggestions! ill definetly try these with the kids this year!! 😀