How to Explain Christmas to Children

Some parents want children to know the "real" reason for Christmas.

Christmas for most children just means a time to get presents. If it's important to you that children know the reason why there is a Christmas, take the time to explain it before the Christmas season begins. Once it starts, most children will be too concerned with visits to Santa, gifts and decorations to think too much about meanings.

Things You'll Need

• Bible

Instructions

1. Ask your children what Christmas means to them.

2. Read the scriptures in the Bible concerning the birth of Jesus. Tell the children that this is the reason there is a Christmas.

3. Read the story of the wise men. Explain to the children that the gift-giving part of Christmas is related to this since the three wise men brought presents to the manger to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

4. Watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with the children. The animated special from the 1960s is about a boy (Charlie Brown) who gets discouraged by the commercialism surrounding Christmas. Even if the children have seen this classic before, talk with them about Charlie's concerns and the speech Linus gives at the end about the "true" meaning of Christmas.

References

• IMDB: Charlie Brown Christmas