Chaplain's Chat

Veronica Tirchett

I love the Christmas season and have tried really hard over the years to keep up some of the traditions that we know and love as we enter the festive season. For me, these memories and traditions have taken on greater significance and meaning, particularly with moving through the ups and downs of the global pandemic.   I just want to focus on all that is good is in the world and forget the challenges that we have had to navigate over the last 2 years.  Traditions can offer comforting memories that our children often carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Food

Many of my most precious memories involve food.  I’ve realized it’s not a waste of my time as a mum to labour over dough and spices and flavours.  Delicious food makes the day special for my loved ones.  Here are a few ways my family and I have celebrated Christmas with food, and you can, too:

 

Make a traditional shepherd’s feastThis meal can take many forms, but the key is to keep the food simple and eat what the shepherds would have eaten. Bread, cheese, fruit, nuts and olives are a great start. Sometimes we’ve placed a blanket on the floor in the living room so we can enjoy this meal picnic-style.

 

Enjoy a fancy candlelit dinner. I have some special cutlery and china that I only use for special occasions.  I make sure I set the table with some nice Christmas napkins and have a Christmas candle in the middle.  My family loves it.

 

Create a Christmas breakfast tradition.  It’s always nice to enjoy something special like  delicious pastries/muffins, hash browns and hot drinks.

 

Service

Christmas can be a lonely time for some and a sad time for those who have lost loved ones.  Of course, there are popular acts of kindness, such as making Christmas biscuits for others, filling an Operation Christmas Child shoebox, and shopping or making presents for siblings and grandparents. Here are a few other Christmas service projects that your family can do to spread warmth and kindness to others:

 

Go Christmas carolling.  Sadly my Aunty passed this year, but each December, we would go to her Nursing Home and sing Christmas Carols to the residents.  It was lovely one year to have my mum, me, my daughter and grand-daughter singing together.  A very special memory that I will always remember.

 

Make cards. Spending an afternoon together writing and decorating Christmas Cards can be a real joy as you prepare your list and plan how you will post and deliver these. 

 

Gift giving Tree.  What a lovely thought to talk with your children about putting some gifts around the Kmart or our local school Gift Giving Tree to help some needy families in our local community.  Even more special to go shopping together and involve them in the choice of the gifts.

 

Christmas Activities

Time is the glue that holds families together.   As a task-oriented person, I sometimes find it difficult to stop and play, yet simple activities mean so much to my kids.  Here are some of our favourites activities that may be fun for your family too:

 

Complete a Christmas puzzle.  We have found this to be a great activity especially if we have company, such as grandparents, visiting over the holidays.

 

Have a Christmas movie night. Whether we select Christmas classics or new releases, our family loves getting cosy and sharing a large bowl of popcorn.

Watch Carols by Candlelight together.  So nice to do this each year as a family and join in on the singing when you can.

 

Craft a construction paper  Christmas chain. 

This is so simple, but it’s always a hit with my kids.

 

Listen to favourite Christmas music together.  We love Andrew Peterson’s “Behold the Lamb of God” and Handel’s Messiah. 

 

You may not accomplish all of the things on your list, and that’s OK.  The goal isn’t to check them off. It’s to enjoy family togetherness with the hope of creating lasting memories.

 

May you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and make the most of your special time together. Keep safe and I look forward to seeing you back at school all rested and set for a great 2022 together.

Wool Donations Please

If you have any wool at home you are not using can we please have it ?  We are knitting/crocheting Woori worms so we would love some bright colours to get going with.