Christmas Family Traditions

By now, it feels like we're deep in the throes of the Christmas season. You can find Santa at any mall, radio stations play Christmas music 'round the clock, and everyone is hustling to finish their shopping. But any good Catholic knows that Christmas doesn't actually start until Christmas Eve, and the Church has a long history of traditions that continue the Christmas merriment well past December 26th when the secular world has moved on. Keep reading for ideas, some traditional and some novel, to add to your family holiday tradition list. 

1. Creche

One of the most beloved Catholic Christmas traditions is setting up a creche, or nativity scene. This often involves a replica stable and figurines for at least Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus (and often the shepherds, Wise Men, and angels). A fun way to make the creche an interactive activity for children throughout Advent is to have Mary and Joseph 'travel' throughout the house until they finally reach the creche on Christmas Eve. Have the Wise Men follow a few days behind!

2. Birthday Cake

While not necessarily a traditional custom, having a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas is nothing if not appropriate! Not only is it delicious, it also reminds children who we're really celebrating when we open Christmas presents.

3. Three Presents

Another way to tie the birth of Jesus to gift-opening is to set a limit of three presents per child, recalling the three gifts of the Wise Men. It's scriptural and economical!

4. Decorating and Caroling

The secular Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier each year, with some people putting up their trees before Thanksgiving. With Christmas music playing nonstop throughout December, it's easy to forget that the Christmas season doesn't actually start until Christmas Eve. Make Advent a true season of anticipation by putting off decorating and Christmas caroling (at least religious hymns) until December 24th. Waking up to a freshly decorated tree and bursting into a round of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" on Christmas morning will make it feel like a real celebration.

5. Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition for Christmas Eve, where the night's multiple-course meal includes seven different types of seafood. Catholic practice used to include abstaining from meat on the eve of feast days, hence the seafood spread for Christmas Eve dinner! Add it to your own list of traditions, even if you don't go all out like that Italian Nonna down the street. For more information on this tradition, click here.

6. St. John's Wine

St. John the Evangelist's feast day is on December 27th, the third day of Christmas. Legend has it that St. John was served poisoned wine, but avoided death by blessing the cup before drinking it. In honor of that miracle, Catholics throughout the ages have had their wine blessed by a priest and then passed a cup of the blessed wine around the dinner table. Before drinking, the first person toasts, "Drink to the love of St. John, the Apostle." The next responds, "And where love is, there is God."

7. The Feast of the Holy Innocents

The fourth day of Christmas, December 28th, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, which commemorates the souls of the children killed by King Herod in the aftermath of Jesus' birth - the first martyrs for Christ. A simple way to honor this feast is to have a priest say a blessing over your children. If a priest is unavailable, the father of the household will suffice. Click here for the traditional blessing for children.

8. The Feast of the Holy Family

The Sunday after Christmas is reserved for the Feast of the Holy Family to honor the "original 'Church in miniature'," as Pope St. John Paul II referred to them. To commemorate this feast, consider setting aside some intentional family time. Maybe organize a family game night, or cook dinner together. Start and end the gathering with special prayers, like this Consecration to the Holy Family.

9. Chalking the House on Epiphany

The 12 days of Christmas end with the Feast of the Epiphany (also called 'Twelfth Night') on January 6, which celebrates the revelation of Christ's divinity to the Magi (and symbolically, the whole world). Traditionally on Epiphany, the head of the household blesses the house for the coming year using blessed chalk and holy water (click here for a longer explanation and prayer guidance). You can also celebrate the feast by serving king cake for dessert! Now most associated with Louisiana Mardi Gras, king cake began in medieval Europe as a treat for Epiphany. Stick a plastic baby (for baby Jesus, of course!) somewhere in the cake while it's cooling, and whoever gets the piece with the baby receives good luck! Here's a recipe for king cake.

10. Candlemas

The current liturgical calendar ends the Christmas season with the Baptism of Our Lord, which is right after Epiphany. However, the traditional Christmas season lasted 40 days and ended on February 2nd, or 'Candlemas'. The 40 days commemorates the biblical period of purification, where a new mother rested and healed after childbirth and reentered public life after 40 days. Scripture tells us that Mary followed this Mosaic law, and she reentered public life when she presented Jesus at the temple after her period of purification. Because Jesus was to be a "light for revelation to the Gentiles," prophesied by Simeon at the Presentation, February 2nd became the traditional day to bless candles. Make sure you get your candles blessed, and maybe have a Candlemas party to celebrate the end of the Christmas season. Keep your Christmas tree and decorations up as long as possible and sing Christmas carols all throughout January; you'll be following Catholic tradition and bringing some warmth to those dreary winter days!