Christmas tradition - Jerusalem Supper

I'm excited that to celebrate Christmas Eve tonight! Our kids are getting older and it really makes the holidays so much fun. They were so excited to wake up this morning.

I hate that the focus of Christmas has moved from celebrating Christ - his birth, his life, his teachings, his love and his sacrifice, to commercialism and consumerism - I hate it.
Ever since I was very young my family began a tradition of having a Jerusalem supper on Christmas eve - this has become my favorite Christmas tradition. I love this tradition because it helps put the Christ back into Christmas for me.

For our supper we try to eat foods that Mary and Joseph may have eaten. Our menu tonight will include roasted chicken, grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, pineapple, cheeses, and olives. We eat our supper by oil lamplight (but candles work too.) I love the simplicity of the dinner, and the reverent mood created by the lamps.



After dinner, we read and act out the nativity. We are excited to have two friends joining us tonight, and so we will have more people to play different parts, and then we watch the movie "The Lamb of God."

In a new twist this year, the girls have asked to go caroling prior to our supper.

I'm excited to spend this special evening with them and can't wait!

Christmas can officially begin

As I was reading a journal entry from last year I came across something I'd recorded that my husband had mentioned. It was December and I had played "For Unto Us a Child Is Given" from Handel's Messiah in church that day. After I'd played it, he had sighed and told me that Christmas could now officially begin - apparently it never begins for him until I've performed this piece.

As such, I played it in church last Sunday, and again today at a friend's piano recital as she accompanied me.

We've mailed out our cards and packages, made treats to share with our friends, got some snow, and I think we are officially ready to sit back and enjoy the holidays. Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful holiday season!

Old Christmas tradition renewed

I remember being awestruck and mystified as a child when we would visit my grandparent's home. My grandparents had an old Swedish Christmas decoration that I could never get enough of. It consisted of some angels, candles, and some chimes. When the candles were lit, the angels would begin to twirl and thus the chimes would begin to ring. How did it work? I could never figure it out, but I loved it when grandma got the candles out and lit it up for us.



Several weeks ago I found this same decoration in a catalog and couldn't help myself. It came last night and we lit it up for FHE last night and we were all mesmerized. Yes, I know, elementary physics, but still so beautiful and fascinating.

Thanks grandma for the warm memories and for something I can pass down to my children!