When our family created our alternative Christmas tree, we also changed how we approached gift giving on Christmas morning. Since the children were very young, there has been no Santa visiting in the middle of the night and no surprise gifts found under the manger. Instead, gifts are wrapped and placed under the manger days and even weeks in advance. The children were presented with new opportunities to self regulate temptations, and learned the value of delayed gratification, through the shimmering and enticing gifts sitting there on the floor, well in reach of curious minds and hands.
With the glaring absence of Santa, we needed a story line. Why were these gifts here anyway? This presented another wonderful opportunity to weave the true Christmas story into our family’s traditions. Each Christmas eve, we read the story of the birth of Christ from the scriptures. Then we discuss the gift giving. We taught them that, like the wise men, we also bring our gifts and present them to the baby King. That is why the gifts have been accumulating under this manger all the month. Since Jesus taught us to love one another, on the day we celebrate His birth, we take the gifts that have been presented to Jesus and we follow His commandments by then giving them to each other in a show of love and honor.
This tradition has greatly assisted in building a Kingdom mindset into the lives of our Children and I have not regretted even one moment. To the contrary, some of our sweetest family memories lay in the telling of the story of why there is a manger in our living room and an array of shimmering gifts underneath.
Do you know why there is a manger in Marjorie’s living room? Click here to find out!
More Favorite traditions:
Unwrapping Christmas Morning Gifts
Share your thoughts on this approach to gift-giving in the comments below.
