10 Dec Christmas Traditions by Brenda Bonogofsky
Christmas Traditions in my house growing up began with everyone going to the house of my oldest brother, Royce. We would have a great meal, then gather in the living room to open gifts. My brother would sit with the camera set up ready to record opening the gifts, which was done one person at a time. My Mom and nephew, Chris, were always joking with each other with their gifts. Chris would wrap her gift with rows of ribbons, so Mom would have a hard time opening it, though it was fun to watch.
One-year Mom bought a key chain with a guy in what looked to be an electric chair. She had me put wheels on it to make it into a wheelchair. My Mom worked at my brother’s racetrack and Chris was always calling her on the phone pranking her. He called one night and asked if they had handicap racing. Chris laughed so hard when he got the key chain. He knew it was pay back.
As the years have gone by, we lost our Mom and our traditions. When you lose a love one, like a Mom or any loved one, it can be hard. Our family traditions changed from all getting together to everyone doing their own thing.
When I gave my life to Christ, the way I looked at Christmas was different. This was the day Our Lord and Savior was born. It was not about gifts, but about a gift that was given to us all – Jesus, the Greatest Gift.
One day I was thinking on Christmas and Jesus birth. Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. What gift could I give him? So, a new tradition was born in our family.
Our new tradition is this: I take an empty box and wrap it with Jesus’ name on it and put it under the tree. On Christmas morning we gather by the Christmas tree. My son or I would read the story of Jesus birth, then get Jesus’ gift from under the tree. Before we would open it, we would pray to thank Jesus for all he has done for us. As we open the box, we would say Jesus this box is empty but our hearts of full of your love. Today our gift to you is that we give our lives to you again, forgive us of our sins and be Our Lord and Savior. We are so thankful for all you have done for us, and we want you to know how much we love you. Happy Birthday, Jesus. My son is married now with children of his own, but I still do this.
I encourage you to take time and think about what Christmas is. It’s not about giving gifts. It is about the Savior’s birth and the gift He gave to us. What can you do to celebrate the precious gift He has given to you?
Meet Brenda Bonogofsky
Brenda was born and raised in Fairfax, VA., where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies at Cornerstone College. She now lives in Billings, MT with her husband, John, near his extended family. Their son, Matthew, and his wife, Kira, have given them three beautiful grand-kids.
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