Christmas Eve and Day.
Enliven your Christmas eve celebration with a Hispanic tradition called Las Posadas (from the Spanish word meaning shelter), which recreates the Holy Familys search for lodging. Have two children play the roles of Mary and Joseph. Other family members are innkeepers and go to different rooms, waiting behind closed doors until Mary and Joseph knock. Each innkeeper turns them away, but joins the procession. The last innkeeper says yes, all proceed to the crèche, Jesus is placed in the crib, and the Nativity story is read.
Find a Christmas day tradition that works for your family. When our children were young, the first one downstairs placed baby Jesus in the crib. Then there were gifts, with everyone taking turns opening presents. Finally, my husband led a short prayer of thanksgiving for the best gift: Jesus, whom we would receive in the Eucharist at Christmas Mass.
One family I know loves music. Their Christmas day tradition involves playing Christmas carols at a nursing home. Another family has a treasure hunt: They open a box that contains a clue as to where each child will find their gift. The kids scatter for the hunt, then come together to open the presents. The pattern continues for the next eleven mornings.
December 26: St. Stephen. This feast is pre-empted this year, because it falls on a Sunday. But the story of St. Stephen, who forgave those who stoned him to death, is a good opportunity for a discussion about forgiveness. Read parts of Acts 6-7 and end with a prayer asking for the grace to live as a loving family.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Celebrated on the first Sunday after Christmas, this feast falls on December 26 this year. Encourage your children to listen carefully to the Mass readingsSirach 3:2-7,12-14; Colossians 3, 12-21; Matthew 2:13-15,19-23and then recap and discuss at a special breakfast. Solicit ideas for how to show respect for one another. One year we began the tradition of praying a blessing over the children at bedtime. As they grew older, we simply traced the sign of the cross on the forehead and prayed, God bless you. Sleep well.
December 27: St. John the Apostle. If your children are little, have them close their eyes and feel one anothers head, nose, eyes, hands, and feet. After the giggling subsides, talk about the days reading1 John 1:1-4: What we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life. Ask questions to bring out the point that the reading refers to Jesus, whom the apostles ate with and touched. Is there anyone named John in your family? This is his day! He chooses the supper menu.
December 28: The Holy Innocents. Read the story of these Bethlehem boys honored as the first martyrs for Christ (Matthew 2:13-18) and now seen as special patrons for pro-life activities. Remember victims of abortion.
December 29: St. Thomas Becket. For defending the rights of the Church against King Henry II, this bishop was exiled, then murdered. All Thomases can be celebrated this day, and everyone can be encouraged to work for justice. Choose a simple volunteer project to do as a family.
New Years Eve. Have a potluck dinner and play games with other families. Pray together, with each person giving thanks for some blessing of the past year.
January 1: Mary, Mother of God. Dont let the Rose Bowl Parade and football games distract you from honoring the Mother of God. Introduce your children to icons or artistic representations of Mary holding Jesus. Talk about how Mary reacted to the events surrounding Jesus birth (Luke 2:16-21). Other ideas: Put the last years photos in an album. With a long roll of paper, make a timeline of the years events.
January 2-5. Basil the Great, Macarius, Gregory of Nazianzen, Elizabeth Seton, Genevieve, Fulgentius, John Neumann, and André Bessette are saints whose feasts fall into this period. Get acquainted by consulting a lives of the saints or going online (see www.catholic-forum.com/saints).
The Epiphany of the Lord. A three kings cake is traditional. Some families hide a bean, coin, or small figure of the Baby Jesus inside; whoever gets it in their cake wears a homemade crown all day.
To remind us that we are to reveal Christ to the world, like the three kings, we write a chalk inscription just over the front door on the inside. It consists of the first two digits of the new year, the initials of the three kings (Caspar, Bathasar, and Melchior, according to some traditions), and the last two digits of the new yearall interspersed with crosses: + 20+C+B+M+05+. May we all live out this prayer of the Church for Epiphany: Because you are followers of Christ, who appears on this day as a light shining in darkness, may he make you a light to all your sisters and brothers.
