Risa: Or the Christmas carols, stories, and crafts?

Robbie: Is it about the tasty treats and delicious food?

Mother: Well, those are ways that we celebrate Christmas. Let me give you a hint as to what Christmas is about: Christmas is when we celebrate someone special. …

Mother: …We are celebrating His birthday at this wonderful time of year. Can you guess who that is?

Robbie and Risa: JESUS!

Mother: That’s right! Christmas is the time when we celebrate Jesus, God’s Son!

Robbie: But why do we celebrate Jesus’ birthday with Christmas trees, decorations, lights?

Risa: And why do we give presents to each other?

Mother: The ways we celebrate Christmas are ways that we can remember Jesus and show our happiness for Jesus’ life on earth.

Mother: When we see the beautiful Christmas lights, we can remember that Jesus is the light of the world. He brings light and love into our lives and hearts.

Mother: When we give presents to others, or we give of our time to make someone happy, we can celebrate the wonderful gift Jesus brought to us—salvation and forgiveness for our sins.

Risa: Oh! And when we sing Christmas carols together, we are singing our happiness as we remember Jesus’ birth.

Mother: Exactly!

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth¹ receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.”¹

Robbie: But what about the decorations and the Christmas tree? Why are they a part of Christmas?

Mother: Well, apart from being a wonderful way to bring a special Christmas feeling into our homes, many of the ornaments and decorations also remind us about Jesus and the miracle of the very first Christmas long ago.

Risa: The star at the top of the Christmas tree can remind us of the star that led the wise men to Jesus.

Mother: That’s right.

Mother: In olden days, the city or church bells were rung in celebration when something wonderful had taken place. Jesus’ birth was a marvelous event, and the bells remind us that we can tell others the good news about Jesus, God’s gift of love.

Robbie: The shape of the candy cane makes me think of a shepherd’s staff.

Mother: Yes, it does. And we can remember that God is like our caring shepherd who looks after us, His little sheep.

Risa: He can use the shepherd’s staff to rescue a lamb that is stuck.

Mother: Exactly.

Robbie: These angels remind me of the angels that God sent to tell the shepherds the good news of Jesus’ birth.

Mother: Yes. And God also sent angels to tell Mary and Joseph about the gift He was giving to them…

Risa: …The baby Jesus!

Risa: What about the wreath, Mother?

Mother: The wreath is shaped as a circle, and has no beginning or end. This gives us an example of God’s love for us, which is eternal and never-ending.

Robbie: That means He’ll love us forever and ever!

Mother: Absolutely!

Risa: Daddy, look!

Father: It’s beautiful!

Mother: Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus together as family and friends. It’s a time of year when we remember Jesus’ great love for us, and then we in turn can be a reflection of God’s love and kindness to others too.

Risa: I love Christmas!

Robbie: Me too.

What makes Christmas, do you know?
Is it pretty gifts and shiny toys
All wrapped up so nice and bright
For little girls and boys?

Is it pretty mistletoe, cheery lights,
And a sparkly Christmas tree?
No, these do not Christmas make;
I am sure it’s more than these.

Christ was born on this glad day,
And that’s what makes Christmas.
Christ was born on this glad day,
And that’s what makes Christmas.
Yes, that’s what makes Christmas!
—Author unknown

Footnotes:
¹ “Joy to the World”; lyrics by Isaac Watts (1674–1748) and music by George Frederick Handel (1685–1759)