The other week I wrote about Christmas traditions and how they change over time as families and circumstances change. This morning I’ve been reminiscing about some Christmas traditions through the years.

My dad was a stickler for family traditions at Christmas and rarely was there a deviation from those traditions. We weren’t a big church-going family, but we always managed to show up for the Christmas Eve service at church. Afterward, we came home, built a fire in the fireplace, sang Christmas carols around the piano, played a card game or two, and opened one present before bedtime. It was always the one sent by my aunt from Minnesota and usually something homemade like pajamas. The most memorable gift was when I was fourteen years old. My aunt made all the girls in the family maxi-skirts out of some kind of satin-y quilted material with an elastic waist that made your hips look twice as big as they were. They were hideous and my fourteen-year-old self cringed when we were told to put them on for a family picture. My grandmother had brought them with her from Minnesota so of course I had to smile and be polite but I’m sure I rolled my eyes and muttered something ugly under my breath as teenaged girls usually do when they don’t like something. 

I tried to maintain some of my childhood traditions with my own family, but they weren’t as ironclad as those my parents had instilled in us. I have many happy memories of Christmases with my children and I hope they do too. One memory that stands out is when my oldest was sixteen and got her first job at the local nursing home. She was scheduled to work on Christmas Day and my thirteen-year-old son exclaimed with great consternation, “How will we have Christmas?” I assured him that our family’s traditions didn’t depend on a certain day, and we could get up on Christmas Eve morning as if it were Christmas day and do all the things that made our Christmases special. After the kids grew up and I became a pastor, our Christmas traditions have changed quite a bit depending on those of the churches I served and what our kids’ preferences and availability are during the holidays. 

I have fond memories of Christmases spent with the churches I’ve served over the years. Each of them had their own traditions to honor the true meaning of Christmas. I have enjoyed so many wonderful Christmas programs, cantatas, and holiday dinners. One of my favorite traditions and one that I am privileged to be a part of again this year, is the free community Christmas Day dinner at St. Paul UMC. While the dinner is attended by several families from the congregation, it is also intended to reach out to those who may not be able to gather with family for Christmas Day. It is a joyous time of great food and fellowship and an opportunity to visit with and share the love of Jesus Christ with those in our community who are often “unseen” in our busy day-to-day lives. I am truly grateful for this new tradition in my Christmas celebrations.

Whether you are observing long-standing family traditions this Christmas, starting new traditions, or simply remembering fondly those from long-ago, I hope you will remember the reason for the season – the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Pastor Pam

NOTE: Pastor Pam Sutherland’s charges include Fort Gibson United Methodist Church, Castlewood, VA and St. Paul United Methodist Church in St. Paul, VA