The Joy of Christmas Starts at Home (Even If It’s Messy)

Each new school year, it seems like the work for Mom is never-ending in our Catholic homeschooling families. However, by Thanksgiving, we have found our rhythm and routine.

Then Bang! The Christmas season arrives, doubling the workload but halving the class time. It’s more than a little discouraging!

As my family grew and the children grew up, I struggled each year to keep Christmas a joyous and holy season. The season is not just another reason to work even harder than usual, due to shopping and entertaining.

Over the years, through tears and cheers, I’ve learned a few lessons that I’d love to share with you to ease the stress and increase the joy during the Christmas season.

Family Togetherness

A big part of Catholic family life is family togetherness. Christmas is an ideal opportunity for families and friends to share good times and to build lasting memories.

On the other hand, we moms dread the very thought of having guests visit because we lack the time to clean the house or cook for company.

Catholic homeschooling moms must put the physical state of our homes in proper perspective. Your guests come to see you and your children, not to look critically at the state of cleanliness or neatness of your home. Just do the basics: Straighten up, mop, vacuum, dust, get the kids to help with the surface cleaning.

I have found that one of the few times my kids are enthusiastic about cleaning is when company is coming. Often they are actually excited to polish up and set a really formal table with cloth napkins.

Children Decorate

Let your children plan and put up the holiday decorations. They may surprise you with the lovely job they do, and are far more likely to keep the house tidy if their own handiwork is being showcased.

Holiday menus do not need to be a big deal, and need not involve planning and cooking a sit-down dinner. A terrific and relatively inexpensive way to entertain is to host a late morning brunch after Mass. Buy some bagels, muffins, or doughnuts; add a fruit tray; serve coffee, tea, and juice. If friends and relatives offer to bring something, agree immediately.

Most people, including me, tote only their best baked goods, so generally these offered foods are a real treat.

Pot Luck

Friends and relatives can plan a pot luck dinner so that no one household must bear the financial or work burden of hosting a large get-together.

As most families supply only one or two dishes, and moms make their best recipes, the holiday spread will be top shelf! Consider hosting an after-dinner wine and cheese or veggie platter party, with families each bringing their own favorite crackers, chips, and dressing dips.

One family planned such an event and the children performed by playing musical instruments, as well as singing Christmas carols and reciting poetry.

Buying and Sharing Ideas:

• Purchase tickets for the family to local Christmas productions, sometimes homeschooling families. This promotes seeing friends during the holidays and encourages family closeness through shared experiences.
• Consider giving shared family gifts, such as a short family trip to a museum with special Christmas decorations.
• Buy gifts that encourage family members to do things together, such as playing board games or basketball in the driveway!

Consider buying how-to books for children, such as a cookbook or a sketch book or how to celebrate religious feasts with special home-made decorations.

You might consider making an Advent Wreath with your family that can be pulled out every year.

Consider other projects for the whole family, such as making a stable for the Nativity figures, and adding to it each year.

Preparing for Christmas

The most important thing to remember is that Christmas is primarily a religious celebration. Let’s make sure that we give the Nativity set a place of honor and even say the daily family Rosary and other prayers near it.

As we shop and make plans for family and friends, let’s remember to give to those less fortunate. Most parishes have projects to help the poor in the community.

Scripture reports that when the pagans saw the early Christians, they marveled and said, “See how they love one another!”

This Christmas, may the same be said for each one of us!

Merry Christmas to all our Seton families!