Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve this year brought with it an entirely new tradition for all of us - Bethlehem Dinner. Laura stumbled upon the idea shortly after Christmas last year so we have been anticipating the introduction of this tradition for some time now.

As soon as the sun went down (very early in the evening during these short winter days) we turned off all the lights (and any other electronic items; except for the Christmas tree) then cuddled up next to the glow of the Christmas Tree lights to read the story of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We sang songs of his birth. We talked about different aspects of the birth, the gifts the Saviour gives us, and looked at pictures (remember, we were gearing this toward a 2-year-old and a baby). Then we laid out a blanket on the floor and ate a very simple dinner of foods that would have been around during the time that Jesus was born. It was not extravagant. Perhaps it was the simplicity that made it so perfect. As we sat on the floor eating olives time seemed nonexistent and it was lovely. 

Following dinner we turned to a couple time-honored traditions - pyjamas and a new family game. It was Milayla's first chance to open a Christmas present and that little girl got the idea very quickly. The kids excitedly put on their new pyjamas and we broke out the new game (Candyland) and played a little before it was off to bed for the little ones. Of course, we broke our 'no electronics ban' for the night to snap a photo of the kiddos before they headed to bed. 

Once the kiddos were all snug in their beds, we brought out 'A Christmas Carol' and began to read. We took turns reading and read the book in entirety before retiring to bed ourselves. It was such a lovely way to end the evening. Reading the book is a tradition that we hope to keep and also hope that the kids will begin to join us for as they get older.