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This article is part of Washington DC's Holiday Guide

25 things to do before Christmas

December 3, 8:23 AM
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Here are some great ideas to kick off the holiday season and get your family involved. Have fun!

1. Make an Advent calendar. Use a large sheet of poster board (try red or green!). Make five horizontal columns, and then five rows across. Cut out around the bottom, right and top of each square to create little doors. Number each square 1-25, moving across the poster board. Attach another large sheet of poster board behind the board with the squares. Try to use a coordinating color for the background. Let dry if glued together. Write an activity from this list in each square of the Advent calendar, and include a bible verse for your children to look up. Each day, let your kids take turns opening a square and enjoy a holiday activity as a family! Let them find the bible verse and then read it together. Decorate as you see fit with glitter or ribbon. Store in a safe, dry place and use again year after year!

2. Make your Advent wreath. Using a piece of greenery, shape it into a circle on your dining room table. Add four candles around the wreath and then one white candle to the middle. Light one new candle each Sunday in Advent, and then light the central candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

3. Watch "It's a Wonderful Life" as a family.

4. Put up your indoor Christmas decor.

5. Donate food to a local food pantry or take a meal to a shut-in.

6. Decorate the yard, porch or other areas of your property outdoors.

7. Make your favorite Christmas cookies. Be sure to make extra to share with family and friends. They also make great holiday gifts for teachers, church staff and neighbors!

8. Go pick out your Christmas tree. If you don't put up a live tree, put up your tree.

9. Share some hot cocoa and cookies as you read The Angel Visits Mary in Mark 1:1-8.

10. Take a Christmas gift to a shut-in at your church. Handmade cards from the kids always go over well!!

11. String popcorn or cranberries to hang on your Christmas tree.

12. Make salt dough ornaments and decorate them. Hang on your tree.

13. Watch "The Greatest Story Ever Told" together.

14. Go Christmas shopping. Plan to buy gifts for someone in need- such as your tag from the Angel Tree.

15. Wrap Christmas gifts. Give them a little something extra by making handmade gift tags using last year's Christmas cards.

16. Read Luke 1:26-38 together. Make some homemade apple cider.

17. Deliver Christmas gifts to friends and co-workers. Make sure you return your Angel Tree gift by the due date!

18. Drive around town together and look at Christmas lights.

19. Go Christmas caroling. Try visiting a nursing home or the homes of shut-in's from your church.

20. Make some mini loaf breads to enjoy and to share.

21. Watch "The Nativity" together.

22. Build a snowman. If there's no snow outside, go to the craft store and purchase white Styrofoam balls and let the kids craft their own mini snowmen. Decorate with wiggly eyes and pom-poms.

23. Read Matthew 1:18-24 together. Enjoy some of your Christmas bread.

24. Christmas Eve...read Luke 2:1-5. If it is your tradition, open one gift. Head to Christmas Eve services and enjoy family celebrations.

25. Christmas Day...Read Isaiah 9:1-6. Jesus Christ has come! Enjoy Christmas Day together!

Author: Ondria Witt
Ondria Witt is an Examiner from Washington DC. You can see Ondria's articles on Ondria's Home Page.
Find out more about Ondria:
Ondria Witt has been a worship leader since 2005. In 2007, she released her first album, Songs Along the Way. Ondria has devoted her life to serving the Lord, and sharing about the Christian lifestyle.
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