Dear Ellen, How can I make Jesus the central focus of my young children’s Christmas while still incorporating the fun and magic of Santa? I want them to experience the joy of the season but not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. What are some practical ways to balance both? – Holy-Jolly Parent
Dear Holy-Jolly Parent,
I love that you’re looking to bring more of Jesus into your young children’s Christmas experience, while still incorporating the cultural norm of Santa. What a beautiful way to help your kids connect the magic of the season to the true reason for it all!
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer to this—it’s all about what works best for your family. Here are a few ways my family has made Jesus the central focus of our Christmas celebrations:
Connecting Santa to Jesus
In our household, we frame Santa as someone who gives gifts because he’s following in the Magi’s footsteps. Just as the Wise Men brought gifts to baby (or, perhaps toddler) Jesus to celebrate His birth, Santa continues that tradition by giving gifts to children, modeling love, generosity, and celebration of the Messiah’s arrival. While Santa’s appearance may not resemble Jesus’, the warmth, compassion, and joy kids feel around Santa can also reflect aspects of Christ’s love—and so much more!
Devotionals Rooted in Giving and Gratitude
From just before Thanksgiving through the New Year, we center our family devotionals on gratitude and giving. We highlight the biblical principle, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), and look for ways to live that out.
We serve together as a family during this season—volunteering at food pantries, sponsoring foster children, or donating to local charities. My kids are involved in the process: picking out gifts, wrapping them, and praying over the children we sponsor. It’s a way to help them gain perspective and understand that not every child has what they have.
Toy Clean-Out Tradition
Before Christmas, we clean out our toy bins to make room for the new. Toys that are still in good condition are donated to other children. It’s a great way to practice giving and to avoid being overwhelmed by material possessions.
Practicing Gratitude
Christmas morning can quickly turn into a frenzy of gift-opening and excitement, so we try to slow things down. During our devotionals, we talk about how material possessions have a limited shelf life (Matthew 6:19-21), and that what truly lasts are the love and relationships behind the gifts. We practice gratitude—even when a gift isn’t exactly what we hoped for.
During our weekly devotionals, we practice how to thank someone for a gift they’re genuinely excited about and, just as importantly, how to express gratitude for a gift they might not love as much. This helps them focus on the love, sacrifice, and thoughtfulness behind the gift, rather than the material possession itself..
Focusing on What Matters Most At the heart of it all, we remind our kids that the greatest gift isn’t a toy but the love and connection we share with others—and, most importantly, our relationship with God. We often share scriptures like Matthew 6:19-21, which reminds us not to store up treasures on earth, or 1 Timothy 6:7, which teaches that we bring nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it.
What we can take with us, though, is the love we’ve forged with God—and, to some degree, the love and relationships we’ve built with others. This truth becomes the real focus of the season and the foundation for the gratitude we aim to instill in our children’s hearts.
Of course, these are just a few ideas. There are so many creative ways to make Jesus the reason for the season. I hope these suggestions help spark some inspiration for your own family’s traditions to add more holy into the holly-jolly. Wishing you a season full of peace, joy, and deep connection with God and your loved ones!
