When I was a child, my family practiced the 12 Days of Christmas tradition. No doubt many readers have too. The tradition takes many different forms. In our case, my father wrote clever stories for each of the 12 days and made accompanying, often elaborate, handmade gifts. Even now, the sometimes zany childhood drop-offs are etched in my mind as some of my favorite Christmas memories.
It’s my turn as husband and father, and my own family has dabbled with this and many other traditions. The Christmas Jar, of course, has become a central part of our annual celebration, but we’re still exploring all avenues to impress upon our children the true reason for the season and the value of living a service-oriented life.