Christmas is such an important faith-based holiday and we love it at our house. We decorate our 100 year old house, inside and out, with lights, trees and joyful holiday sounds and scents. Our family saves favorite movies and books for the season, storing them with Christmas decorations – and have a long-standing rule that no Christmas videos or music gets played in the house until after Thanksgiving. Because we all have our favorites, we look forward to sharing them together, once the Holiday Season begins! Below we’ve gathered Scripture, books, movies and more, to encourage, inspire and share the love and joy of this season of light!
Scripture
On Christmas Eve we read the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth, either before or after a Candlelight Church service.
- The Biblical Account of Jesus’ Birth: Luke 2:1- 20 (NKJV). Make it a seasonal tradition to read it out loud together.
- Isaiah 9:1-6, The Promised Son
- Mary’s Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55
Advent
Advent is such a sweet time of anticipation and sharing your love for the Lord and the anticipation that we share in His return! Advent is also a special time of gathering in the weeks before Christmas to share important scriptures and songs together, to light candles and to share our living faith with our family!
- All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings
- Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader
- Arnold Ytreeide series
- The Jesse Tree Advent Series
- Adventus blog post by TNHA Teacher Mrs. Sonya Hemmings
- Advent: Festive German Bakes
How are Christmas and Channakah related? For those of us who are curious about how the Old Testament continues to inform our faith, this is the perfect season to look at how Channakuh and Christmas are related, and how Channakuh might inform our faith.
Books
Y’all know that we are bibliophiles around here, and what better time to delve into some great books? We love to put some of our favorites in baskets around the house, and often find ourselves curled up on a couch with a cozy blanket, hot chocolate and a good read.. Now is definitely the time to start a family read-aloud, and depending on your schedule, you might want to read a book a week, as part of your Advent celebration. Below is a great list, compiled from our friends at our FaceBook Group True North Homeschool Tribe.
- A Little House Christmas Holiday Book and Christmas Paper Dolls
- Little House Christmas in the Big Woods
- Christmas Jars
- Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
- God Rest Ye Merry Soldiers, a True Civil War Christmas Story.–
- The 24 Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L’Engle; an Austen family advent story.
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. A beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about.
- The Gift of the Magi, by O.Henry- a sweet short story about sacrificial love.
- Christmas Short Stories by Louisa May Alcott from the author of Little Women.
- Home for Christmas, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve; Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury by Jan Brett. I’ve been a long time fan of Brett’s artwork. Simply lovely, with sweet stories to go with. You are never too old for a good kid’s book, eh?
- Take Joy: the Tasha Tudor Christmas Book by Tasha Tudor. More lovely art-work and all things Christmas
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Read the classic
- Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book! from a master storyteller!
Movies
I love a good movie, as much as I love a good book! Some of our family favorites.
- The Muppets Christmas Carol – an old classic, told in a fun and engaging way!
- Star of Bethlehem -learn the Science behind the Star of Bethlehem!
- The Nativity -beautiful and poignant!
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever an older version, but well handled.
- Charlie Brown’s Christmas Charles Schultz knew how to get to the heart of the matter!
- White Christmas all the songs, all the dancing, all the shoosing!
- The Man Who Invented Christmas We discovered thai last year and really enjoyed it- the power of the pen is mighty indeed.
- Silent Night – the power of Christmas, even during a terrible war.
TNHA Blog Posts
To get you in the Holiday Spirits, we have several blog posts from years past that will encourage and inspire you this Christmas season!
- Meet the Man who Invented Christmas: Charles Dickens
- Holidays
- Less is More for the Holidays
- Create a Christmas Shopping Budget with Your Kids
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Emily Wilford- a short story from one of our Creative Writing Students
- Special Needs Holiday Edition
MUSIC
We have music lovers in our house and they know the artists, titles and lyrics from music across the decades!
- The Messiah by Handel if you don’t listen to anything else this holiday, find a rendition you love!
- A Charlie Brown Christmas– so much fun!
- It’s Called Christmas by Go Fish
- Silent Night other hymns are always appropriate!
Crafts and Activities
- Decorate Gingerbread houses- the pre-made kits make it so easy
- Drive around and look at Christmas lights
- Bake and cook together. We love using family recipes
- Decide on a service or charity that your family will contribute to and think of ways to bless it with your time and creativity
- Make Paper Snowflakes and decorate your windows
- Have a Holiday Open House and invite friends
- Make orange/ clove pomanders.
- Go Christmas Caroling
- Have a cookie exchange and share the cookies with your co-workers and neighbors
The Christmas Holiday is a beautiful one, as we remember the birth of our Savior. It can also be a tough one, as we remember and miss loved ones who have passed away, or deal with difficult family relationships. Determining how we’ll celebrate- perhaps simply, or maybe all out, can give this season a sense of purpose and joy. And serving others always reminds us that we have many blessings, despite hardships and trials, which we know we’ll face.
Regardless of our circumstances, we can rest assured that the Living Christ came into the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. Alleluia! Come Lord Jesus!
