Christmas Tips and Ideas

Tips for Simplifying Christmas

Decide what's most important

Make a list of what your family does to celebrate Christmas. Ask family members which preparations and events are meaningful to them. Arrange list items in order of importance and ask them to consider eliminating those at the bottom. As the family members discuss changes that could be made, you may be amazed that some of the things you were knocking yourself out for really aren’t important to the rest of the family.

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Share the load

Ask other family members to help you prepare for Christmas. Divvy up the tasks. Using the talent of family members can make them feel special. One woman had her ten-year-old daughter to design their family Christmas card. The girl drew the original and then they photocopied the card. Then she and her brother addressed and stamped all the cards. In my book Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas?, I wrote about sharing the work load at Christmas with my sons. I gave them jobs to do and paid them in multiples of dimes (to make it easy to divide!). I had them give half of what they earned to Jesus (an offering for international missions). We put the collected dimes in paper stockings and placed the stockings in the church offering plate.

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Cut back on décor

Is it really necessary to have several Christmas trees in your house? Must you decorate every room in the house, including changing the kitchen clock to one with Santa on it? Is your goal to win decorating awards or to have a meaningful Christmas? If it is the latter you want, then you need just enough decorations to indicate that something special is happening and to provide a warm ambiance. One tree and lots of candles will provide that!

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Prune your gift list

Even if you can afford to buy gifts for numerous people, it still requires time and effort to buy, to wrap them and to sometimes return them. Simplify your Christmas list so you will have fewer to buy and to wrap. You’ll enjoy the process more and find you can really focus on making the recipient happy. If you regularly exchange gifts with certain individuals, don’t wait until December to tell them you would rather not exchange gifts. Bring this up earlier in the year, say in July, and discuss it before gifts have been bought.

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Save time by being practical

I wanted to spend time with my young adult sons and I also wanted to buy them gifts they would like. There wasn’t time to do both so I chose time over gift-pleasing efforts. I arranged a "date" with one son at a time and took him shopping. I hold him how much I had to spend for his gifts and let him decide how we would spend it. We shopped together, did a lot of conversing while we looked, and he made the final selections. I took the gifts home and wrapped them, and when each opened their gifts, he said, "What a surprise! And it’s just what I wanted!"

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Learn to say “No, thank you”

There's no rule written anywhere that says you have to accept all the party invitations that come your way. Select a few significant activities—ones that will enhance your celebration—and decline the other activities. This is especially important if you have young children. Their Christmas will mean more if they have parents who are present in body and spirit.

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Plan simple activities

Many people see getting together with others as one of the things they appreciate most about holidays but they don’t have to be elaborate affairs. Plan a soup party. Friends and family love the informality of a homemade soup party. You can ask your guests to bring various kinds of breads, crackers and cheeses. Soup is also a stretcher in case you add extra guests at the last minute. ^Top

Make Christmas Merry—for Less Money

Creative gift wrap

Recycle gift wrap and gift bags. If gift wrap is wrinkled, iron it. For gifts within the family, I’ve used The Wall Street Journal financial pages—the black and white print looks great with a red or green bow. I’ve used the Sunday funny papers—a gold bow works well. A friend of mine did all of her gifts with brown paper bags and red and green bows. They looked great sitting under her homespun Christmas tree.

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Think small when entertaining

The smaller your gathering, the less food you will need to buy. Don’t feel you have to outdo every other hostess this time of year. Neither attempt to repay a whole year’s social obligations in a single holiday event. A dinner party of six or eight can be just as enjoyable than a party of thirty or forty, sometimes more so because it doesn’t require as much energy and the group is more cohesive. A dinner menu is often less time consuming and less expensive to prepare than a buffet of finger foods.

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Go potluck

Some guests actually feel guilty if they don’t bring something, so plan a meal or buffet where everyone brings a contribution. Not only does this save money, but it is the best time saver there is.

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Serve brunch

Popular brunch foods such as egg dishes and coffeecakes cost considerably less than dinner menus and it just may be the right time spot for get togethers—a time not usually taken up with other commitments and elaborate fare is usually not expected.

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Prune your greeting card list

Miss Manners advises dropping from your list anyone of whom you have no mental picture. An out of date picture is okay, but if you cannot conjure up a face, then you needn’t send greetings even if they send you one! I pruned my list by asking myself why I was sending Christmas cards. With some I had to admit, I was sending cards to them because they sent one to me so I eliminated those. With others, I was sending Christmas cards because I wanted to stay in touch. I decided I could do that on their birthdays when I had time to write a personal letter to include with the card. This saved me time at Christmas and reduced a large one-time postage bill as it was a stamp here and a stamp there.

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Give fewer gifts

If you have ever ended your family’s Christmas gift exchange with a room full of gift room and a heart full of stress, perhaps it is time to talk with family members and decide to give each other fewer, more thoughtful gifts at Christmas. One wise family decided when their children were small to give three gifts to each other—three because that is the number that baby Jesus received from the Wise Men, and they have stayed with that through the years.

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Give coupons with promise

Give a gift of time and friendship by promising to baby-sit, clean house, wallpaper a room, plant a garden, or provide some other needed service. Make an attractive coupon that the recipient can “redeem” sometime during the coming year. Another woman gave her husband his favorite cake with a note, “You’ll get one of these every month.” For years she had been promising to bake him a cake “some day.” He was thrilled to know that “some day” had arrived!

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Give less expensive gifts

Instead of continually raising the bar each year on gift exchanges, lower it. The challenge can be part of the fun. I know a group of women who have been meeting for lunch and a gift exchange for years. They buy each other $1.00 gifts and have a fun and creative time doing it. For parties, give white elephant gifts. For more on this idea, see the Green party idea under Four Party Ideas.

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Give gifts that don’t cost money

Could you put together a scrapbook of memories for your friends, children or parents? I collected quotes from one son’s letters and put them in a book as a gift. One mother wrote a letter written on Christmas stationery in which she revealed her personal feelings, thoughts, and hopes for each of her children.

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Party Ideas

Circle Party

You can give a simple party that guests of all ages will enjoy if you keep a circle in mind. Around your family room or living room, arrange a circle of chairs. Ask guests to take a seat in the circle as they arrive. Have something for little children to do in the middle of the circle as you wait for everyone to arrive. When your circle is complete, play the following games.

ABC Christmas Shopping

Who Sir? Me Sir?

Upset the Christmas Basket

Shared Questions

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ABC Christmas Shopping

Make sure there is one less chair than people. The person without a chair (which could be you as you explain the game) points to someone in a chair and says, “I’m going Christmas shopping in Bloomington, what can I buy?” The person immediately tries to answer with three items that start with a B such as boots, bikes, and books before the leader counts to ten. If she does, then she is safe and doesn’t have to give up her chair. If she doesn’t—and the leader gets to ten first, then she becomes the leader. She points to a person and says, “I’m going Christmas shopping in Jacksonville, what can I buy?” The seated person quickly answers jacks, jeans, and jelly. If he beat the leader, he keeps his seat, and if not, he becomes the new leader. The object of the game is not to have to be the leader.

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Who Sir? Me Sir?

This game is based on an old game called “The Prince of Wales Has Lost His Thinking Cap.” For fun, I’ve substituted Santa Claus and pack for “the Prince of Wales” and “Cap.”

Ask the persons seated in the circle to count off: Number 1, Number 2, and so on.

The leader (someone outside the circle) begins the game by saying: “Santa Claus has lost his pack and doesn’t know where to find it. Number 12 (or another number in the circle) has it. Number 12, go to the end of the line.”

As soon as Number 12 hears his number called, he tries to say, “Who, sir? Me, sir?” before the leader finishes saying, “Go to the end of the line.” If he is unsuccessful, he must go to the chair at the end of the line. The person in that chair and all the others up to the chair the loser vacated move up to fill the gap. Each of them takes as a new number the number of his new chair.

But if the player is successful in beating the leader in his response, the leader says, “Yes, sir; you, sir.”

Then the player replies, “No, sir; not I, sir.”

“Who then, sir?” asks the leader.
The player names another number; for example, “Number three.” The leader hastily says, “Go to the end of the line.” The new player tries to say, “Who sir? Me, sir?” before the leader finishes. If he doesn’t, he must go move to the last chair.

If he does, the leader says, “Yes, sir; you, sir.”

Then the player replies, “No, sir; not I, sir.”

Who then, sir?” asks the leader, and the game continues.

Each time someone has to go to the end of the line, the leader starts again with “Santa Claus has lost his pack and number ____ has it” and so on. The object is for someone to get into the Number 1 chair and stay there.

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Upset the Christmas Basket

This game is loosely based on the old game, “Upset the Fruit Basket.” With every guest in a seat in the circle and you are in the middle, explain that you are going to read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (“A Visit from St. Nicholas”). Say, “Whenever I interrupt the reading with the words “Santa Claus,” everyone must exchange seats. I’m going to try to get a seat then, and whoever is left without a seat gets to be the next reader.” The next reader reads until he calls out “Santa Claus” and everyone exchanges seats again. This continues until the poem is completed. A very active game!

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Shared Questions

By this time emotional warmth—and certainly physical warmth—will have entered the room so it is time for slower activity. Pass around a basket with questions on slips of paper. Ask each guest to take a slip and respond to a question like one of these.

1. Suppose you had been one of the shepherds. How do you think you would have felt when the angels came?
   
   
2. Pretend you are a shepherd on the way back from seeing baby Jesus. You meet a good friend. What do you tell him?
   
   
3. If God were sending his Son into our world today, to whom do you think he would send his special announcements?
   
   
4. Tell about some moment during the Christmas season in which you felt especially close to God.
   
   
5. Tell about a church service that was especially meaningful to you at Christmas time.
   
   
6. What is your favorite Christmas carol, and why is it your favorite?
   
   
7. What are some Christmas presents that can be given which don’t cost money?
   
   
8. If Joseph and Mary had come to your door and asked for a room, what would you have said?
   
   
9. What is your happiest memory of Christmas?
   
   
10. What do you like best about Christmas?
    
    
11. What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
    
    
12. What do you dislike the most about Christmas?
    
    
13. Who is your favorite Christmas character?
    
    

Through the shared questions, spiritual warmth will enter the room and guests will be ready to turn their thoughts toward the meaning of Christmas. Read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible or give some devotional thoughts about his coming and what it means. Follow this with prayer and refreshments and your guests will leave feeling connected with others and with Jesus.

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Carol Party

From the time the angels sang to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, singing has been a part of Christmas. “Tradition has it that the first Christmas carols were sung in 1223, or 1224, when St. Francis of Assisi dramatized the Nativity. As people gathered around the crèche with its real manger (and real hay), they sang songs—not the solemn Latin Hymns of the church, but joyous songs with words in their everyday language.

“Gradually Christmas carols spread across Europe. They were passed from one generation to the next. Old tunes were used or new ones were made up. Carols were sung in homes, in the streets, wherever Christ’s birth could be celebrated. And when Christians came to America, many wrote new carols for the new land.” [“American Carols 1642-1868,” Guideposts, December, 1988, page 28.]

Make singing a part of your Christmas celebration by having a carol party. Ask guests to tell you their favorite Christmas carol when they respond to your invitation. Make copies of their favorites, enough for every guest to have a copy. At the party, sing all the favorites.

When we did this at our house, we introduced each guest as we introduced his or her favorite. We told how we met and some of our shared history, then the whole group sang the carol. Interspersed throughout the group singing and introductions were special musical numbers and readings by family members and guests.

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Drama Party

The story of Jesus' birth is a dramatic one. A poor couple travels for days to reach another city because the government requires it. Travel is slow because she is pregnant. When they arrive at their destination, weary and tired, they learn there is no place for them to stay. What are they to do?

A stranger gives them shelter in a stable where their baby is born. Supernatural happenings occur. An angel and a host of unusual creatures sing praises about this baby and startle shepherds tending their flocks. An unusual star appears and attracts wise men from a far off land.

The wicked king hears rumors that this child will be a king so he orders all male babies to be killed. What drastic action over a baby! The parents of the newborn run away to protect their child.

Honor this story by giving your party a dramatic flair. Divide guests into groups.

1. Give one group puppets, and ask them to perform a puppet show. Give them a scenario to act out, a prepared script or a taped song to pantomime.
2. Ask another group to write an advice column (Dear Miss Yuletide . . .). When the party reconvenes, they can read their letters and one member can respond as Miss Yuletide. Ask the group to design a costume for Miss Yuletide with materials you’ve provided.
3. Ask another group to act out the Bible story of Jesus’ birth. Provide them a Bible, costume material (bath towels, robes, old draperies, a manger, a baby doll, etc.).
4. Ask one group to retell some aspect of the Bible story in the form of a rap. Have a Bible, pencils and paper available. Or, have a group practice and present the rap, “Gabriel, My Man,” written by a group at one of my parties.

Green Party

If you want a Christmas party that reflects Jesus, you will not be wasteful of natural resources. One way to do this is by throwing a green elephant party: green for saving the earth and elephant as in a white elephant gift.

Ask guests to bring a creatively wrapped green elephant gift—something they don't want, need or like but is too good to throw away.

Ask them to use recycled materials for their gift wrap (used gift-wrapping paper, funny papers, a road map, a grocery sack, etc.). On a table in the center of the room, place gifts where everyone can see them. Ask guests to vote on the most attractive and the most creatively wrapped gifts. Award prizes (recycled items, of course!).

Draw numbers for the gift exchange. The person with number one selects a gift and opens it while others watch. The person with number two chooses either the first person's gift or one of the unwrapped ones. If number one's gift is chosen, he gets to open another gift. The person with the number three may choose either of the two opened gifts or open a wrapped gift. Sometimes you have to put a limit on the number of times an opened gift is circulated. This is when you discover that one person's junk can truly be someone else's treasure!

This gift exchange provides laughter and lively conversation leading to that emotional warmth you want for having a spiritual moment. At this time, read or have someone read The Tale of Three Trees, a traditional folktale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt (Lion Publishing, Elgin, Illinois 60120). This book retells a wonderful folk tale that takes listeners all the way from the manger to the cross.

For the invitation to this party, I printed the following on green paper.

Christmas Quiz

[Quiz is taken from Brenda's book Celebrations That Touch the Heart, pages 125-129. Used by permission from WaterBrook Press.]

While younger children may need to learn the facts of Jesus' birth, older children—and sometimes adults—may need a review of the facts to keep the story of Jesus' birth separated from folklore. I have often reviewed the facts of Jesus' birth at Christmas parties by using the following quiz by Ron C. Carlson.

All questions are based on the King James Version of the Bible. The answers are either true or false.

According to Carlson, a score of twenty correct answers is considered an exceptional performance. A score of nineteen is excellent, eighteen is good, and seventeen is fair. A score of sixteen or less indicates you need to read the story again.

I have used this quiz in my home with my own family, at extended family gatherings, at Sunday school class socials, and in Sunday school classes. It is a good method to get older teens and adults to think about the real story. Be careful, though. Occasionally I have had some people get upset when they find out that a star didn't lead the shepherds to Bethlehem or that the Bible doesn't say that there were three Wise Men!

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The Giving Manger

[Manger ideas are from Brenda's book Celebrations That Touch the Heart, pages 121-123. Used by permission from WaterBrook Press.]

The manger is rarely a focal point of our Christmas decorations, yet its very presence can remind us of the reality of Jesus' birth and of his true nature as God made flesh.

• Fill a manger in with inexpensive gifts that you have purchased throughout the year and give them to your holiday visitors as they leave your home.
• Bakes small loaves of bread, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a manger to give to your guests. This is less expensive than purchasing gifts and has the added benefit of symbolism. The loaves point to Jesus, who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48). You can explain this symbolism to your visitors when you hand them a loaf of bread from a real manger.
• Small candles in a variety of shapes and colors also make appropriate manger gifts. Wrap each candle in a square of cellophane and tie with ribbon. Attach a small card reading “Jesus Is the Light of the World” (John 8:12, 9:5). Place the wrapped candles in the manger, ready to hand to guests as they leave.
• Fill the manger with Scripture. Print verses on sturdy white paper, roll them into little scrolls, and tie with them with bright red bows.
• If you have evergreens in your yard, fill your “giving” manger with ribbon-tied bunches of fresh greenery to give away. Your guests will appreciate receiving the greenery to use in decorating their own homes, and you will add to the significance of the manger: Traditional greenery such as pine, spruce, holly, and fir have long symbolized life because they remain green and vibrantly alive all year round. Evergreens can remind believers that, Because of Christ’s death on the cross, we have everlasting life.

Whatever gifts you choose for your manger, as you hand one to your visitors, say: "I give this to you in the name of Jesus" or "I give this to you in the name of the one who has given so much to me."

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