No Tree For Me!

On this issue, I say whatever floats your boat.

It's certainly not true that in order to enjoy the holiday season you have to have a tree or believe in Santa Claus or any of that. You don't have to exchange gifts or hang mistletoe or sing carols or anything like that, if you don't want to.

I do those things, and I enjoy them. But that's me. It's not required, and you can certainly have fun without doing them.

 

John, being consistent in your beliefs and explaining to your children why you choose to do what you do is the most important thing. Your Christian witness in character and actions and words is going to have far more impact on their lives than any Christmas tree you choose to have or not have!

 

'Twas the night before ChristMass,
And all through the house,
Scarce a creature was stirring,
Not even a mouse.

The children were nestled,
All snug in their beds;
Sleeping so peacefully,
No care in their heads.

The stockings all lay
In the drawers like they should;
A fire was burning
Of pine-scented wood.

Then Ma with her Bible
And list in her palm,
Joined me for prayer
And the 29th Psalm.

With a good night of rest,
We'll begin the new day,
Just like the others,
In the same usual way.

No rising up early,
No gadding about,
No headache from hours
Of hearing kids shout.

Not worn out from shopping,
Not ready to drop,
Not sick from eating
'Til we nearly pop.

We'll have a slow day,
Some work and some quiet,
No great disappointments,
No holiday riot.

We'll eat very plainly,
A nice simple dinner,
That won't tempt me sorely
To gorge like a sinner.

The kids will be happy
With their dear old toys;
No piles of loot,
For my girls and boys.

Oh, victory in Jesus,
How sweet 'tis to say,
"No ChristMass at our house,
It's just another day!"

 

Oh come on John! Wouldn't it have been much more fun to list the top 1,000 reasons why Christmas trees are from the pit, announce you don't have one and nobody else should, and then run?
Merry Christmas, and I'm glad you have fun whatever it is you do instead.
Gina

 

We didn't do and still don't do it that way, Granny. We have found great fun and joy in celebrating Christmas and the giving of special gifts.

When the children were younger, I made a sort of 'manger' out of some wood, and put it on the family room table. It had no straw in it (yarn pieces). But every time one of the children did something good for someone else without telling them or letting anyone know, they could quietly put a piece of yarn in the manger. The idea was to make the 'bed' as comfortable as possible for the baby Jesus. On Christmas eve, after they were all in bed, I would put the baby doll in the manger for Christmas morning.

And yes, we have had a tree and presents and fun and family. But we don't stuff ourselves. I do make a special meal, but not with tons of food. Just special.

Tomorrow evening, Christmas eve, we will drive to some friends' house for an evening of worship and praise singing with a group of us. Then we will come home to a cracked crab dinner -- traditional here -- with French bread and a salad, but no dessert.

Christmas morning a breakfast high in protein will be served because there will be candy munched through the day! "Santa" always leaves a new game for the family and we have fun learning it and playing Christmas afternoon, after other gifts have been exchanged and appreciated.

Christmas dinner is not turkey, but roast leg of lamb, in memory of Christ again. The rest of the dinner is always what we have grown ourselves through the year, although I do use store-bought flour and butter for the homemade Shepherd's loaf that we tear pieces from!

It's a special, special time that is still centered around the celebration of the birth of our Savior, even though we know he was not born then but in the autumn.

It is a time when family binds together from travelled distances and the warmth and laughter and prayers and music stay with us for a very long time after that.

I love Christmas.

 

Helen, there's just nothing like the joy of learning a new game....
While the kids make castles and head coverings out of boxes and wrapping paper!
Gina

 

Christmas day is a special one for us. When the children were home, they opened a gift on Christmas Eve. If there were more, they waited until afternoon. Church service was first.

Since the children are long gone, we just have a quiet time at home and have the traditional Christmas duck.

After morning service, I take my personal communion set and pay a visit to the senior's residences, of which there are two in our village, and have a reading, prayer and serve communion to these people who are without family and mostly housebound. It is a special delight to see the smile on their faces when the preacher remembers them.

Now, this is a violation of my personal theology about the local church and communion, but I have long overcome that, and deem the deed worthy beyond my personal theology.

Cheers to all as you remember our Lord, each in his own way, on this special day, we choose to remember His birth.

Jim

 

Many a baptist hospital Chaplain has baptized a terminal infant for the same reason. The excerpt I quoted above was perhaps the most Christian thing I've read here in many months.

Merry Christmas!

Joshua

P.S. During my children's sermon yesterday, when I asked whom we think about this time of year, one of the children of course said "Santa Claus." His parents were mortified.

 

John

I did not put one up this year either. I have every year of my kids life. But I really had no room. But guess, what the kids survived! They wanted it. But we truly could not find a spot. We have a tree....and all the trimmings. But really, there was no place for it.

Well, we have presents beside the Christmas speaker! (tee-hee, heheheheheh!) Ok it wasn't a speaker for christmas, it was just a Large speaker we have for surround sound. And I noticed, the kids are just as excited!

But my daughter has one up. And we can see it. Oh...We don't worship the tree, or its decorations.

Merry Christmas John and Everyone!

Sherrie

 

What do I think? I think you are boldly ascerting your religious beliefs in your home, contradicting traditionally accepted sociatal practices. I find it admirable that you know what you believe and what you don't and why.

I wonder one thing though...why do you have the cross in your Chrismas display? I know what the cross signifies to Christians...I'm just not sure why you celebrate his birth, and his death and resurection at the same time. Do you also put out your nativity scene at Easter time? And if so, do you also give Chrismas gifts at Easter?

I personally have nativity ornaments on my wreath on the front door. I have nativity scenes and angel ornaments on my tree...and a great nativity scene on my dining room table...I also have lights and pointsetias and a few Santa Clause things. To me this is Christmas...the memories of my childhood, combined with my religious beliefs. Chrismas is a joyous time...with all the food, and the shopping, and the gifts with wrapping and bows. The stockings on the mantle...the turkey in the oven. The smells, the sound, that laughter, the kids playing on the floor in a sea of discarded wrapping paper. These are only a few of the things that are Chrismas for our family.

Keep in mind...... we have been celebrating Christmas for a little more than 4 decades with trees and lights etc...and taking something out, that has already been in for that long...well, it would be like getting a divorce...a little too emotionally traumatic to eliminate all the traditions that we have been observing since we were kids. I won't do it...and it doesn't make my salvation any less valid than people who don't celebrate Christmas as a day different from the rest.

[ December 23, 2002, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: WisdomSeeker ]

 

I don't know if I could give up the Tree, it is just so pretty! But I was thinking the other night that I just want to stop the Christmas presents and the cards and running around like a nut! I want to be the generation that stops all of this wordly fuss and get down to the real deal. I pray next year I will be better then I was this year.
Love in Christ, Angie

 

My husband does Christmas. He put white
lights upon the house and a manger scene on
a table in the living room. That seems to cover
it for him. He says he wants to avoid the
commercialism.

Wednesday, we will probably spend the day
quietly at home, but he may go visit his father.
However, my children are coming over tonight
for supper, so a house-full with the sounds of
children is always a celebration, no matter what
day it is!

[ December 24, 2002, 04:59 AM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

I hope you realise that you may not get a favourable response.I am glad you are not my dad,words like meanspirted,party pooper.What about the tooth fairy? and the Easter Bunny? do you have a reason for that as well? dont you have any fun with your kids? Sorry but I am getting upset.

 

Hey, John 3!!
Its Christmas Eve--about 4 in the morning-CST--I couln't sleep 'cause a storm system movin' through kept me up--constant lightning, thunder--and rain peltin' the bedroom window--the lightning display was enough to entertain me--dazzlin' light--God Almighty's "Christmas Fireworks Display" to me--the thunder rollin' would have made John Phillip Susa blush--!!

You ain't got a tree?? Thats cool! You can have Christmas without one--Mary and Joseph did that first Christmas season--We're studying through Isaiah and his prophecies concerning the first coming of Messiah--nothin' there in his book mentions--"Ya gotta have a tree!"--we had a Christmas theme this year at church--"From the Cradle to the Cross--Through the Word!" and just kinda traced the events without a tree--of course, though--it took a tree to fashion that cradle--then it took another tree to fashion that cross---and I know its those kinda trees that you personally(you, John 3)think about around this time of year as well as the other seasons of joy in your life. So, no Christmas Tree--that's fine!

But let me tell ya--ole Blackbird--he and his family has one--just something me and my wife grew up with--decorating a green tree on the inside of the house while all of the other trees on the outside have gone dormante for the winter! Some years ago we bought a "fake" tree from Wal-Mart--and the kids have fun puttin' the limbs on the metal trunk--settin' it in its stand and decorating it! One particular year--we had the tree sittin' there in the den--and a lady comes by for a visit--I always called her "Miss Southern Living"--straight out of the magizine--her house is always just Ginger Bread Cookie clean--and mine ain't!! Anyway--here she comes in the house--a Bob Vila "fixer-upper"--has great potential for ole Bob if I can ever get him out this way-me and him can sit at the kitchen table and discuss things over a cup of coffee---anyway, this lady spies our fake tree---and you know what?? We faked her out!! "Where did you get that tree?? O, I haven't ever been to a tree farm where they are shaped like that one!" And ole Blackbird had the glory of tellin' her it was fake!! Of course, I did it with style--not to embarrass her in any way! But we have fun with that tree!! "Daddy! When ya gonna get the tree out of the closet? Let's decorate it today!! Please, please, please!!!"

But Christmas with Jesus in our hearts--hey, John 3--you and me--Merry Christmas from my tree to your nativity scene! Merry Christmas, John 3!

Your friend,
Blackbird

 

Me and my kids have TONS of fun! BUT! They know Santa isn't real, they've been told that and also told that the spirit of giving to others is what he is supposed to represent. We had a tree before for fun, no big deal, this year we have a tiny little one on top of the table, we still drive around and look at decorations and enjoy them.

On Easter-they know what it's about. They know the Easter Bunny isn't real, but last year they thought it was the funniest thing when I left them a note saying the Easter Bunny hid baskets in the house for them. They had fun with it. We also used the idea someone else gave on this board with the carton of eggs, each containing something representing a part of the true Easter story.

The tooth fairy- they know that isn't real too. It doesn't stop them from putting teeth under their pillow and expecting me to put out some cash from the tooth fairy. LOL I didn't hide the last tooth good enough and my daughter handed it to me and let me know I was a bad tooth fairy.

So, they know it's all not real, THEY DON'T CARE. They love it all anyhow.
Gina