How do you show your kids the spiritual/religious meaning of Xmas?

[madmomma]

My youngest kids are 2 and 3 (also have teenaged dd) and as they grow up I want them to see Christmas as a lot more meaningful than the time when they get new toys. We're not religious, but I just want something meaningful to hang it on if that makes sense? So I want them to see that we all have a responsibility to help people who are in need, but I don't know how to do that at Christmas whilst making it fun aswell. I was just wondering if anyone else had it nailed and had special Christmas family rituals that involve helping people

TIA

I make a point of taking dc to choose a gift for another child then taking them to donate it to the local toy appeal. We also clear out the toys they no longer use and take them to the hospital childrens ward and their outgrown clothes to the charity shop. This year I am thinking of letting them choose some food to take to the food bank too.
We are not really religious but at Christmas we do have a nativity scene and go to christingle and carol service at church.

Meant to say my dc are 5 and 8 but have been doing this since they were about 3.

My ds is 5 and last year we read age appropriate books and took him to a carol service. I agree with the purchasing of a gift and donation. At this time it is probably too late but the shoe boxes christmas campaign is worth explaining and involving them in.

Yes I was thinking of taking them to the supermarket to choose nice foods for a parcel for the local foodbank

we go to Church
I am a confirmed atheist, but dd1 attends a CofE school, and asked if we could go. I can take or leave the Jesus part, but getting away from the commercialism, and absorbing a general message of "be excellent to each other" is really quite refreshing

we also make up parcels for a children's charity - new toys, and food for christmas hampers. dd1 puts some of her pocket money towards this. the (secular) charity is wood street mission in case anyone else wants to do the same.

How about buying a gift fir the Salvation gift appeal sometime in November. They collect unwrapped gifts for kids & vulnerable people referred to them by agencies in the UK. Superdrugs collected for them last year, the shoe box appeal has sinister overtones if its the samaritans purse one.

christmasappeal.salvationarmy.org.uk/

I wouldn't call the Samaritan's Purse lot 'sinister' but I do know the shoe boxes are delivered complete with a small book of Christian Missionary stuff in the local language, so if you feel strongly about supporting Christian proselytizing don't donate that way.

We currently pick something from here www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped on behalf of dd but as she gets older, we will let her pick.

We are Atheists, so Christmas is a winter family celebration to us, Santa brings us all a stocking, and wetreat each other to a littoe gift each. Themeal and sharing of time I the focus of our day.

If she decides to follow a religion, I will support her and involve thataspect for her in the future.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
Charlotte my Mum supports the wood street mission, and suggested that I go down that route this afternoon. We were wondering whether it is a religious organisation though?

My Uncle and Aunt were Salvation Army Officers all their working lives.
They do sterling work , and sadly they are under more and more pressure and demand.

i think the word "mission" makes people think it's religious, but it's not.
i work for an agency that refers service users to the various projects they run, and there's definitely no evangelising or other strings attached. There's a history of the charity on the website, and none of the trustees are from any religious organisation.

I don't really. Dd (8) knows the story of the nativity and enjoys Christmas and all the trappings but, like us, doesn't believe in God. She knows that other people do, and understands that Christmas has a different kind of significance for them.

We go to church. Not on Christmas day, but earlier in Dec for the Christingle service. It's a lovely tradition that I grew up with and have continued for my own children. Sometimes we go to the crib service on Christmas Eve too.

My DC are 5 & 3, knowing that Christmas isn't just about presents is really important to me.

We collect food for the food bank, take clothes to he homeless shelter (we do this throughout the year anyway) and buy a toy for the toy appeal.

We also join in the christingle on Christmas Eve and I go to the evening carol service on the last Sunday before Christmas - I find this a delightful way to relax and reflect and very calming.

We also have a nativity scene on the fireplace which is from my childhood and they enjoy setting it up and moving all the people around. We play Christmas carols at home, as well as Christmas songs.

Last Christmas my then four year old asked to sing happy birthday to Jesus - so she had obviously taken in the religious aspect of the season.

Thanks charlotte I'm going to donate to wood street then as a starting point. Food bank too. I guess I'll just take the children along and hope they soak it up.

It's a great idea to find something local to donate to and use it as a way of chatting about other peoples situations with your kids. I contacted a local woman's refuge a while ago to ask what they needed at Christmas time and they said new PJs & slippers for kids and women in different sizes. New though not second hand as I suppose they have other second hand donations. Since then we've bought kids pyjamas whenever we are shopping, I collect them and drop them off nearer Christmas when the kids are at school.

I wouldn't take the children to the food bank to drop food off - I'd do it when they're at school. It is awful to have to go to get food, people find it upsetting and get anxious so best to do it on your own without the kids, but lots of talking about it at home is important.

We do a lot similar to those already mentioned. Outgrown toys and clothes to charity shops and shelters, buy a toy for someone same age as dd for local collections, she helps choose items for the food hampers at school and grocery shop collection.

We also do various tasks for fun and to help out in the advent calendar. Some years I manage to do an advent wreath. But I always have e Christmas candle lit on Christmas Eve, which we do with some thoughts about the year gone year ahead, our blessings and thinking of others in need or who are sick or have died, then a decade of the rosary. Mass on Christmas morning, and plenty of carols during advent. We're not overly religious but those few bits are important.

Andrew don't concentrate much on presents, as I tend to buy early and concentrate on family stuff in December. And we do talk about not wasting food, money or other things, and appreciating what we have.

I know that probably sounds smarmy and preachy, but it's not the way we do it and certainly not meant to be.