A "Three Wise Men" Christmas

I'm really not into the commercialization of Christmas.  I don't correct Maxwell when he tells his brothers about how Santa is real, but I certainly don't encourage Santa in our house. It really helps not to have a TV when it comes to Santa.

I've always told my boys that Christmas is Jesus' birthday (we even have balloons and sometimes cake and ice cream...sometimes we even sing happy birthday), and that since the wise men gave presents, we give presents too, but Christmas morning still hasn't had that meaning that I've wanted it to have.

Then I found out what my amazing sister, Heidi, has been doing with her family for the past few years, and I got inspired.

Christmas is ALL about the wise men and baby Jesus. Here's the plan. Each of the wise men represent different gifts, and with each gift represented you both get a gift, and GIVE a gift:


-Frankincense- The wise man who brought frankincense represents the gift of knowledge. The gift that you give is to write a LITTLE essay about what you've learned this year that can build up the kingdom of God. The gift you get is an educational toy/kit/instrument/etc. This is the first wise man so you can get the writing part done first thing.

-Myrrh-The wise man who brought myrrh represents the gift of clothing the needy.  The gift that you give is going through all your cloths and finding slightly used clothes to give away to the needy. The gift you get is a gift of clothing/apparel.

-Gold-The wise man who brought gold represents the gift of joy.  The gift you give is going through all your toys/stuff and finding things to give away to the needy. The gift you get is some fun toy or whatever.


What I like about this plan is that it's not about getting more STUFF. You clean out more then you get :) The kids know they are only getting three gifts (plus a very full stocking and presents from grandma and others) they know why they are only getting three, and we are starting at such a young age, that they are okay with it.  It's not about Santa, it's about the wise men, and with each gift they are reminded of their blessings and how others are not quite so fortunate.

My sister has a script that goes along with this, but she is in the process of moving, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to have that this year, but we'll start the tradition none-the-less, and hopefully it will be a way of bringing Christ into Christmas.