Christmas traditions are a beautiful way to bring people together and ring in the holiday season. But with the hustle and bustle of December, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and lose sight of the divine reasons why we celebrate.
To support your family’s festivities, we’ve gathered some meaningful and simple Christmas traditions from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Here are suggestions from three Apostles about how to stay centered on the Savior during Christmastime.
Hold a Testimony Meeting
On Christmas Eve, many families read the New Testament story of Christ’s birth. But how often do we remember to share our own accounts of Christ?
Elder Dale G. Renlund says one of his favorite traditions growing up was hearing his father’s testimony every Christmas Eve. When their family read Luke 2, instead of stopping after the Nativity section, Elder Renlund’s father would continue reading to the verses about Simeon seeing the Savior in the temple.
Elder Renlund reflected:
“At that point, my father always paused. Then he bore his testimony.
“Always in the same brief way he declared in heavily accented English: ‘I may not be able to hold that little baby Jesus in my arms, but I know just as well as Simeon knew that that baby was the Son of God, my Savior and Redeemer. He is real, and he lives.’
“After this declaration, he looked at each of us with his piercing blue eyes and said with an emphatic nod, ‘And you can know it too.’”
This invitation inspired Elder Renlund to gain his own witness, and he is grateful for the way his parents spoke freely of their testimonies at Christmastime. “Of all the Christmas gifts I ever received, I treasure most the gift of testimony and faith exemplified by my father and mother,” he shared.
Relive Family Memories
Elder Gerrit W. Gong believes that an important way to savor the Christmas season is to remember and recreate family memories.
“A Christmas memory recalled is a Christmas memory made anew,” he explains. “Layered over time, Christmas memories become traditions, which can deepen our love for Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Savior of the world.”
One way that his family likes to honor Christmas memories is through displaying special family ornaments. When he and Sister Susan Gong were newly married, they saved funds from their tight student budget to purchase “a scraggly little Christmas tree even Charlie Brown would have felt sorry for.”
To help brighten the tree, Sister Gong used clothespins to create British solider ornaments. “For [over 40] years, these clothespin British soldiers have stood at attention on our Christmas tree,” Elder Gong shared. “They remind us of our first married Christmas—far from home—and each succeeding Christmas.”
To honor his parents’ Christmas memories, Elder Gong’s son and his family created their own clothespin ornaments (they even created one to look like Elder Gong!).
Create a “Silent Night”
For Elder Patrick Kearon, finding a moment to be still and take in the beauty of the lights on his Christmas tree has become a treasured tradition.
“One of my favorite things to do as Christmas approaches is to sit by our Christmas tree, with all the other lights off, and let my vision go blurry as I look at the tree covered in tiny white lights,” he explained. “With my eyes out of focus, the glow of each individual light expands and softens as it reflects off the shiny red ornaments. The effect is enchanting. …
“As my eyes let the lights move in and out of focus on the tree, I am reminded once again of the divine mission of our Savior, which comes sharply into focus in these still moments.”
Another practice that he believes can help bring more “heavenly peace” at Christmastime is visiting the temple.
“Consider temple service instead of another Christmas activity that may not help you in your longing for Christmas stillness,” Elder Kearon said. “Those holy ordinances—the peace and priesthood power they hold for all who cherish them—are only made possible because of the Only Begotten Son of the Father, this ‘Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,’ whose birth we now celebrate.
“As this Christmas approaches, let us do more of what matters and much less of what doesn’t.”
For more ideas about how to center your Christmas celebrations on the Savior, read the articles below.
▶ This short book is the perfect way to bring Christmas to your heart
▶ 2 reminders to soothe any parent’s heart during the pressures of Christmas
▶ The beautiful nativity reenactment you should watch this very second (and again on Christmas Eve)
