Team Wesley Traditions | Blogmas 2025

Christmas comes this time each year, no matter how the past 11 months have treated us. Some years are blessed with prosperity and abundance, while others are more prone to hardship. Christmas isn't always a joyful season for everyone, and it can be quite disappointing if you're only looking through the worldly lens of materialism. Joy, peace, and love can seem bleak in comparison to all the "stuff" Christmas is associated with nowadays. Fortunately, God doesn't love us based on what we accumulate. We are fortunate that with each passing year, we have the opportunity to experience the hope that only Christ Jesus can bring.

My prayer this year is that we can shift our focus from the tangible and pricey to the fulfilling, spiritual aspects that encompass the true meaning of Christmas. One way our family puts this into practice is through our annual Christmas traditions.

Growing up, my family would gather together, filling the air with laughter as we shared a meal and exchanged gifts. I cherish those memories to this day. After the birth of our son, my husband and I knew we wanted to establish ceremonies deeply rooted in our faith to celebrate each year as a family. These traditions, especially around Christmas, help to remind us of the true reason for the season, Christ Jesus, as we look back over the blessings of years past with hope for the year to come.

Advent is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts and minds to commemorate the birth of Christ. It is celebrated in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day, with themes of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. In our family, we read a devotional called "The Way to the Manger." Each night before bed, we read the passage and examine the scriptures before ending with the kids opening their chocolate advent calendar. Some nights are more hectic than others, but even if we aren't perfectly consistent, we always catch up when we can. The kids are surprisingly keen on making time to read the Advent devotional. Perhaps the chocolate helps, but they're still spending time in the Word, which is a win-win!

To really get into the Spirit of Christmas, we always start decorating the house the week of Thanksgiving. It usually takes us a day to get the decorations down, our trees set up, garlands draped beautifully, and stockings hung with care, but we do so with great pomp and ceremony! No part of our halls goes without a good decking!

My Momma used the cutest vintage cookie cutters with me and my siblings each year to make festive sugar cookies—my favorites were the Angel and the Christmas Tree! When I first started dating my husband, he would always gift me the sweetest batch of homemade goodies. Now, the tradition goes on! Our Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk cookies are a holiday favorite that we make with love each year. We also decorate gingerbread houses with the kids and try a new recipe or two for teachers and friends. It's one of our favorite ways to spread love to those around us.

Christmas Eve service is another important tradition we prioritize. Depending on what day of the week Christmas falls on, we sometimes get to enjoy a special Christmas Day service, too! The children love getting involved in community choirs and the Children’s Church Christmas play. There's no better way to spend Christmas than with the church, using our God-given talents to share the Nativity story.

Christmas Eve is a big deal for "Team Wesley." While Christmas Day is right around the corner, we're just getting started spreading the cheer! Whether it's just the five of us or we are gathering with extended family, we love to celebrate the night before Christmas. We play games, eat yummy food (sausage balls, cheese balls, and cookies galore!), and exchange presents.

We celebrate the culmination of the season on Christmas morning. We wake early to watch our kids unwrap their gifts, enjoy warm "Strawberry Wesley" rolls for breakfast, and leave the tree lights on all day while playing our favorite holiday movies. We bask in the joy that only Christmas can bring, going to bed that night with full and happy hearts.

If you do not yet hold any traditions, this is your year to establish them! If the world has left you void of joy and peace, my prayer is that you experience God's love like never before. Start traditions just for you! I know that if you ask God to draw close to you this time of year, He will not hesitate to show up.

If your family enjoys celebrating Christmas traditions, I'd love for you to share some of yours with me and my readers in the comments below! Let's keep Christ the center of Christmas this year. Happy Blogmas, dear ones, and a very Merry Christmas!