Devin Strong
Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church
Christmas is almost upon us! Shortly after you read this, you will gather with your family to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with some traditions that are probably unique to your family.
Of course, our holiday habits change as new sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren join the group and some of our beloved grandparents and parents pass away, but still, we try to keep our family traditions going as best we can because our shared stories make us who we are.
What are your favorite family Christmas traditions? As a kid, I remember how my mom always made banana nut bread for breakfast on Christmas morning. Then we would spend hours opening our gifts as we went around the circle and each person opened one gift in turn while everyone “oohed and aahhed” at what we received. Since my son-in-law, Thor, joined the family, he brought us a new tradition of picking up Chinese food for Christmas lunch, and for probably ten years in my family, we have dispensed with turkey or ham and instead enjoyed a delicious standing rib roast for Christmas dinner. Yes, most of my Christmas memories revolve around food (!), but it is not so for everyone, everywhere.
A quick search of Christmas traditions around the world reveals some very interesting practices in other Christian countries. For instance, in Guatemala, they believe that the devil lives in dark and dirty corners of the home, so they spend the days leading up to Christmas cleaning and sweeping out all trash. Then they make a big pile of the garbage outside and burn it with an image of the devil on top. In Portugal, they leave empty plates at the Christmas table for loved ones who have passed and place crumbs from the meal on the hearth. In Venezuela, they go to worship every morning during the week before Christmas but on roller skates! What else is there to do in a country with no ice or snow? Germany finds children placing boots outside their bedroom doors on December 5th in hopes that they will be filled with candy.
In Sweden, Santa is accompanied not by reindeer but a goat, and not to be outdone by our own commercialism, in Japan, a luxurious Christmas dinner is Kentucky Fried Chicken!
Every country and every family has their own way of keeping Christmas sacred, and sometimes it is the humor or the very oddity of our shared behaviors that make the day special.
I say keep your wild family traditions going as long as you can. Make new ones. Widen your circle, and spread love and meaning far and wide.
Certainly, God broke new ground by sending God’s Son into our midst. Before the baby Jesus, God came to people only through ambassadors, rules, and requirements, but that was not good enough for the Lord of Love, so the Almighty chose to come to us as a vulnerable infant, so that instead of being frightened by the Lord, you might take the baby Jesus into your arms and into your life.
You think roller skates and KFC are strange? God will do ANYTHING to be close to you.
I hope that your Christmas traditions include celebrating Jesus in our midst. Please prayerfully consider joining us at Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church 15985 GA Hwy 144 in Richmond Hill for a traditional Candlelight service with Holy Communion at 7 PM on Christmas Eve. All are welcome!