Creating Christmases to remember

Yes, it’s Christmas once again. Our good friends Ardy and Vera Abello gifted us with a beautiful Advent wreath (that Vera herself made), which reminded me that there was no turning back time. Decorations are up, lists are out, and the air is cool and breezy. I could almost smell all that glorious food and anticipate a fully packed schedule because of countless Christmas party celebrations, reunions, last-minute shopping binges, etc. A few weeks ago, Vera invited me to attend a seminar entitled "Christmas Traditions ... Creating Family Memories" in VLI School of Family Leadership at The Fort. I felt so privileged and truly blessed to have been given a chance to learn what it means to celebrate Christmas with a higher mission – having the next generations in mind. It was a touching seminar that was attended by about 800 individuals who were all eager to make their Christmases meaningful with lasting memories to share. The speakers were couples who spoke from their hearts and gave practical insights and examples on how to make simple activities that would create traditions in one’s family. Here are some valuable insights from that seminar.

Ever wondered what the word tradition really means? Joey Bonifacio presented to us the definition of the word, as can be gleaned from the original context of the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary, thus, " A tradition is the delivery of opinions, practices, rites and customs from father to son or from ancestors to posterity. The transmission of any opinions or practice from forefathers to descendants by oral communication." Joey further explains that traditions may be good or bad and may also be true or false. According to him, danger lurks when we don’t know why we are following such traditions. He encouraged us all to create Godly traditions and know why we are doing so. Christmas is a very important time of the year because it’s the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Joey and his wife Marie used the word GREAT as an acronym to help us capture the essence of Christmas and gave examples (they’ve actually done so in their 25 years of marriage) on how to make it a reality in our family.

Christmas is a time for giving and not just for receiving. Christ gave His life for us so that we may be free. We are celebrating Him, His birth and sacrifice that paved the way for our salvation.

G is for giving.

• Have a birthday cake for Jesus and have the kids blow out the candle to remind the family who we are actually celebrating.

• Pray for people who send Christmas cards and display their cards on the wall or hang them in your tree.

• Have a family-giving service to other families by inviting them to your home for dinner.

• Prepare goody bags for street children. Kids can participate by putting the goodies in the bags themselves and distributing them by keeping them handy in the car to give when they encounter a child on the street.

• Give a gag or funny gift to a member of the family just for fun.

• Send handmade Christmas cards made from the simple doodles of your kids and send them with your family picture.

R is for relationship. Christmas is about relationship building and strengthening. When a prophecy was given about the birth of Christ, it was said that our savior would be called Immanuel which means "God with us." That is the core of why we want to celebrate relationships during Christmastime.

• Have a yearly family portrait taken to see how the family has grown and changed (hopefully for the better). Always have a theme to make it more fun.

• Schedule a family night (at least one night a week). Just be together to cook, eat, talk or walk around the neighborhood. Guard that night for bonding and fun.

• Invite friends and other relatives for dinner and talk about their own Christmas experiences.

E is for enjoyment. It’s the time to enjoy the company of friends and relatives and to protect times together by not talking about business dealings, trying to settle arguments, etc.

• Decorate the home with Christmas ornaments that the whole family will put up together.

• Agree on a menu with a theme.

• Play music that reminds the family about the season. Let laughter fill the air.

A is for adoration. All those who came to see the baby Jesus bowed down in adoration to worship the King. It’s the time to remember to honor Christ for He is our King.

• Attend Simbang Gabi or simply wake up at an inconvenient time to worship God.

• Write thank you cards to God for what He has done to us.

T is for thanksgiving. The Bible talks about Mary giving birth to a son whom she will call Jesus for He will save the world. We have a lot to be thankful for so we must prepare our hearts to see the blessings we can be grateful for.

• Forgive your enemies.

• Have an outreach program that your family can continue like visiting an orphanage or adopting an orphan in your home for Christmas so they can also cherish the season and be thankful.

• Talk about the blessings you’ve received throughout the year.

But before proceeding with your serious Christmas activity plans, Paolo and Jenny Punzalan remind us to have a Christmas calendar and plan the season so we don’t miss out on anything. Make sure to include the whole family in an adventure to create a GREAT Christmas tradition!