As I sit here listening to Christmas Piano Music , I got to thinking about Christmas traditions. I grew up the youngest of six kids. Christmas was always a special time of year, as it is for most families. The Christmas season would generally start with a family outing into the mountains to go find a Christmas tree. Some years we found a perfect tree, other years we got an intentional Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. More often than not, dad would end up relocating a branch from somewhere in the back to fill out an open spot in the front. It didn’t really matter to us kids though; the important part of the outing was getting pulled on our sleds behind the truck/van. We’d travel for miles and miles on rickety old sleds or rotten old inner tubes, often trying to angle towards a jump on the side of the snow-covered dirt road, or try to knock each other off the tubes. We’d often fall off ourselves and end up with a face full of snow for our troubles. One year, a friend of mine brought along a saucer. We couldn’t attach the saucer to the rope so he said he would hold onto the rope. At one point, he lost the saucer but didn’t let go of the rope. We ended up dragging him several kilometers before he finally let go. After all was said and done, each year, we’d get a tree home and Dad would be tasked with setting it up and getting the lights on, while the kids would often head for the local pool and burn off more energy or soak our bumps and bruises in the hot tub.
My parents are amazing. They weren’t the best parents in the world, but they were exactly what each of us kids needed and I wouldn’t have wanted to be raised by anyone else. I don’t believe there are any best parents, just parents who are trying their best to provide experiences for their kids. My parents succeeded and were supportive of us. My mom was the primary care giver while dad was the breadwinner. We were their primary concern and they made sure we knew it. Whenever I hear the the line, “the most important of the Lord’s work that you… will ever do will be within the walls of your own home,” (Harold B. Lee) I think of my parents and try to emulate their example with my own kids.
Another Christmas family tradition is to make treats. My mom would make shortbread cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, nanaimo bars, butter tarts and many other delectable treats. (Side note, look up nanaimo bars and butter tarts!) We’d often make up several plates of assorted goodies and find someone to deliver them to. Often, we’d leave the plate and knock on the door and run, doing our best to not get caught. I still think there’s an old VHS tape out there somewhere of me doing a header on some ice while trying to run and hide after knocking on a door.
My family was large enough that instead of us each buying a present for each other, we’d draw names and buy something for that one person. Then mom and dad and Santa would fill in the rest. I remember one year, I had a brand new cute little niece. She was the one who made me an uncle and I wanted to spoil her so I bought her a teddy bear. The only problem was the teddy bear took up almost all of the money I was given to get my dad a present. I struggled to find something for less than a dollar when I decided to home-make a present. The present was a disaster, but my dad pretended to be grateful anyway. The days prior to Christmas was often spent trying to identify one good gift that we could give for whoever’s name we drew out of the hat. Other than that, we would always pull out the VHS tapes that had the Christmas classics on it. This was prior to Netflix, YouTube, AppleTV and other OnDemand services, so if you didn’t watch something live, or have a recording of it, you were out of luck. We’d rewatch Christmas classics such as Charlie Brown, Disney Christmas Specials, the Christmas Story, Muppet’s Christmas Carol, and, when we got older, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Die Hard.
On Christmas Eve, we’d go for a family drive to enjoy the Christmas lights around the community. We’d laugh and tell stories and sometimes sing carols. One Christmas, my mom insisted we visit one of the trailer parks because the display was so good. When we got there the lights were off, but that didn’t stop mom. She marched up to the door on Christmas Eve and knocked until a shirtless man answered. He agreed to turn the lights on and we were very much impressed. Afterward we’d end up at home where we would read the nativity story in Luke with Dad, then each pick out a Christmas Carol to sing with the whole family using old printouts of the carols that came in the newspaper.
Christmas night came and I can’t say when I knew the Spirit of Christmas changed from worrying about what Santa might bring to the joy of spending time with family, but being the youngest, I’m sure I was much younger than my siblings. One year, one of my brothers hollowed out the top shelf in the downstairs closet in order to hide and catch Santa. Well, he fell asleep and never did. Everyone was confused when he wasn’t in bed the next morning and was nowhere to be found. I was too young to remember, but I heard everyone has a good chuckle when it was discovered what had happened.
Christmas morning was always my favourite. We would wake up, come out and see this giant mountain of presents. We always used to only work on our stockings before mom and dad got up, but I loved those mornings with my siblings as we through the tiny wrapped presents, christmas oranges, and chocolates. We’d all take turns reminiscing about life, reminding each other of silly things that happened in our family. I can’t remember what time mom and dad would let us wake them up, but we always did so by singing more Christmas carols, loudly and often off-tune. They would get up and dad would take his place next to the tree. He’d hand out gift after gift, each of us watching the others open their presents. After all the presents were opened and we each had our mountain of loot, which often included blank cassette tapes, socks, underwear, and then a couple things from each of our lists, we’d have a big family breakfast.
The rest of the day consisted of family games and plenty of eating. As the family grew, these traditions grew. These days, Christmas morning is too tough, so we meet for New Years. We find it much easier to hold our family gatherings at the Church. Mom and Dad are the proud grandparents of 32 grand kids. Not all can come every year, but for everyone who can come, it’s always a gong show chock full of new memories and new stories to reminisce about the next year. We love our family time each Christmas Season. I cannot echo enough, this quote, “[The] Christmases which touched my heart the most are Christmases filled with love and giving and the spirit of the Saviour. I believe that such would be true for all of us as we reminisce concerning our best-remembered Christmases.” (Thomas S. Monson) I believe the reason why heaven will be so outstanding is because we will feel the spirit of the Saviour, as we often do during Christmas and as I feel when I am with family.
Recently I was reminded of another long forgotten Christmas tradition. The missionaries visited last week and as part of their message, they encouraged each of us to give a gift to Jesus Christ this holiday season and to write it down and reflect on it. It reminded me of a little Christmas tree that my parents would bring out each year. On it were little bags that were tied with ribbon. Each bag had the name of each person in our family. We’d receive our bags, open them, and be reminded of a promise we made to the Saviour the previous year. We were each asked to make a commitment to Him for the coming year, write it down and put it in the little bag. As I reflect on these experiences, isn’t this what Christmas is about? The spirit of unity, or community, or love. Isn’t it really the Spirit of Christ that we feel? I am grateful each Christmas season not only for the birth of our Saviour, but for His life, His mission, His Sacrifice, and His role in my life!
“In these precious moments we realize that what we feel and know in our heart — that Christmas really is about the Christ… This may be the most one-sided gift exchange in the history of the universe, The Saviour’s gifts to us are breathtaking.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)
There isn’t much I can offer to the Lord in return for what He freely gives to each of us. Regardless of what I give, He will bless me, in which case, I still haven’t begun to repay Him. I am grateful to Him for all he has done and the only way I really know to show how grateful I am, is to serve Him.
I encourage everyone to re-evaluate their lives. To take stock and look at what they are offering the Lord. There’s no need to be perfect; I certainly am not. But, look at your life and find one thing that you can do better. Some way that you can improve your life and the life of those around you, and by so doing, serve Him thru your actions. Remember His birth, His Life, and His role in your life this Christmas season. Enjoy your families. Reminisce about the good times. Remember those who have passed on and honour them as they are surely toasting you this holiday season. Have a Merry Christmas.
~Todd Bruce
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