Special Ways to Celebrate the Season

We have been trying to decide how to make the Christmas season more meaningful around our house. We are trying to take the focus off of the presents and put it more on spending time together as a family and providing service to our community . I found a few good ideas in a magazine called "Wonder Time" Here they are:

1. Giving just three gifts to each child. One is a "gold" gift (something they really want) a "myrrh" gift (something they need, like clothes, etc.) and "frankincense" gift (something for their spiritual growth.

2. Conducting a charitable lottery with your extended family instead of giving each other gifts. Each family puts an organization on a slip of paper along with a check, then draw a winner. The winning family donates the money to their chosen charity.

3. Use an advent calendar to encourage your child to do something meaningful each day. Each day has an idea on something they can do to be more christlike. Examples were call someone in your family and sing them a christmas song or read a christmas story to their siblings, say something nice to someone at school, etc.

4. Give gifts that encourage time together, such as tickets to a show or that encourages activities and exercise such as dance lessons or swimming passes.

5. Instead of buying gifts go on a family vacation.

Let's hear some of your good ideas for how you are going to celebrate the holidays!