How do YOU keep Christmas "not about the gifts?"

[apnep]

We have always read the Christmas Story from the Bible before we open any gifts. This gives us a reminder of why we are celebrating!!

I like this. I was thinking about doing the same thing this year.

...Then we get all dressed up and head over to a local assisted living home. (Kids are 9/11 but we have done it since they were babies). They walk around to all the tables and hand out chocolate. My DD gives out hugs (DS won't) and they visit and tell about their gifts and such.

I LOVE this!

 

[Tinkertude]

open stockings right away, then make monkey bread and have a nice breakfast. Don't open gifts until 9 or 10am.

Then we get all dressed up and head over to a local assisted living home. (Kids are 9/11 but we have done it since they were babies). They walk around to all the tables and hand out chocolate. My DD gives out hugs (DS won't) and they visit and tell about their gifts and such.

We have had such wonderful feedback from the staff and residents, and we talk about how nice it is to visit with people that have no family to visit.

We're in and out in less than an hour and then we go home and play.

What a wonderful lesson you are teaching your children. You are to be commended. I am sure the delight you bring to the senior residents makes their day brighter on a day that you may be the only visitor.

 

[mhsjax]

We have always read the Christmas Story from the Bible before we open any gifts. This gives us a reminder of why we are celebrating!!

Oh, now you got me. My dad did this every year while I was growing up. He passed away 2 years ago and mom 3 years ago. Make Christmas hard, they loved it.

I think I will start having DH do the reading, my kids and I were just commenting on how we really don't have a whole lot of traditions.

 

[jmkst58]

We have always read the Christmas Story from the Bible before we open any gifts. This gives us a reminder of why we are celebrating!!

We do this too. My mom did it for us when we were growing up. It was hard to take the few extra minutes delay before ripping into the gifts (lol- when we were young) and my kids are still young- so it's still hard for them. lol. But I still insist. If there is one tradition that I hope my kids continue when they are adult- I hope it's this one. It's most important to me since it was from when I was growing up.