How to Teach Kids the Real Meaning of Christmas
Every year 93% of the American population (or more than 306 million people) celebrate Christmas. This is a time for loving, sharing, accepting one another, and reflecting on the year that has passed.
It is also a great opportunity to explore spirituality for children. However, for a lot of people, the message of Christmas gets lost among expensive gifts and lavish meals.
In fact, on average households in America spend $1,536 every year on creating the "perfect Christmas." This can make teaching children the true meaning of Christmas difficult.
Fortunately, making the Christian religion, its values, and festivals accessible for kids will help them to better understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Want your kids to know more about Christmas? Here are some top tips for teaching children about the true meaning of Christmas.
1. Start with the Story of Christmas
A lot of children will be loosely familiar with the story of the Christmas nativity. However, revisiting this each year helps to reaffirm the values that it represents.
To make this more interesting and interactive for your kids, why not look at different Christmas story Bible verses each year? You can read, reflect on, and discuss these to find the meaning in them together.
2. Explore the True History of Christmas Gifts
The lowly birth of Jesus in a manger and the gifts brought by the three wise men can help you explain to kids what Christmas gifts are supposed to represent.
You can also use this opportunity to explore how the role of gifts in Christmas has changed over the years. For example, you might explain that originally Santa Claus' role was to deliver gifts to children from poorer families.
This can help kids reassess the associations that they have between Christmas and gifts.
3. Ask Them to Think for Themselves
When teaching your children about Christmas, it's a good idea to open dialogue rather than lecturing them. This will help to engage them more.
Ask them what they think the meaning of Christmas is and encourage them to justify or explain why they think that way.
Exploring the ideas they already have and introducing them to new ones will help your children feel empowered as they learn the true meaning of Christmas.
4. Encourage Positive Actions
When it comes to kindness, compassion, and generosity, positive actions like these that are espoused in the Christian religion always speak louder than words.
Try to think of some activities that you can do with your children to explore the true meaning of Christmas. This might include:
- Finding prayers for kids that they can say for people less fortunate than themselves
- Donating items to a clothing drive
- Handing out food parcels or soup in a soup kitchen
This will teach kids the true meaning of Christmas by giving them an opportunity to put the examples, teachings, and messages taught by Jesus into action for themselves.
In Conclusion
When it comes to teaching children about Christmas, a proactive approach really helps. Explore the joyful and merry history of Christmas together, so your kids have a deeper understanding of what they are celebrating and can later pass this knowledge forward.
