Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh

photo from sociotard
How are the finances doing in your household? Things are pretty tight for a lot of us, aren’t they? We’re living off of savings until my husband’s retirement kicks in in January, and many of our friends and family are suffering the effects of lay-offs, cut-backs and financial strain. Making ends meet gets harder and harder when the ends keep getting further and further apart.

For many of us then, we’re finding that favored Christmas traditions are colliding with financial reality. Lots of gifts under the tree, traveling to see family and that big Christmas ham may be replaced with a few sweet stocking stuffers, writing old fashioned letters and making a feast out of a small pork roast we bought on sale for $1.99 a pound.

Living through leaner times can help us refocus on what’s important during this Christmas season. Some people have shared with me what they’re doing to make Christmas more meaningful for their family. I’d like to let you in on some of their ideas over the next few days leading up to Christmas. I hope their simplicity and spiritual symbolism resonate with you.

Today’s idea comes from Robyn from Washington state. She and her husband Reggie have three children ranging in age from an infant to a teenager. They decided this year that they would limit the number of gifts to each child to three each: one thing they needed, one they wanted and then one special gift. Their reasoning is that Jesus received only three gifts from the Magi, so why should we expect more?

Robyn also shared that they were going to start a new tradition this year. Each of the children is going to receive a new set of pajamas as one of their gifts, which they will get to open on Christmas Eve. They will all get to wear their new PJs before heading off to bed. Can you hear Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies playing in the background?

Don’t be afraid to redefine your Christmas tradition this year. Refocusing on simplicity and the true meaning of the season will make Jesus the true center post of this holiday.

Related Posts:
A Christmas Story
Candy Cane Tradition
Resource Friday - Special Ideas For Celebrating Christmas