The best Christmas traditions are the ones that prompt us to think of others – like helping, giving, and gathering. That’s the message of our Helping Hands panellists, Felicia Limmer of Vision Christian Media, youth worker Nathan Brewer, and Michaela Chanmugam of Samaritan’s Purse.
At Christmas, it’s easy to get caught in materialistic traditions, like excessive spending, or competing for the neighbourhood’s flashiest lights.
In this Helping Hands panel discussion, Felicia Limmer of Vision Christian Media, Michaela Chanmugam of Samaritan’s Purse, and youth worker Nathan Brewer, explain why traditions that point us towards caring for others are worth holding onto.
The Tradition of Helping Others
As a breakfast radio presenter, Felicia Limmer says it’s always heartwarming to hear from listeners about how they support others at Christmas. Here’s some ideas you can try:
“In our family, last year… we all went [to] pack hampers and to wrap gifts for children who perhaps weren't going to get any,” Felicia says. “That was probably the best of the Christmas traditions that we did.”
The Tradition of Gathering
For people of faith, Christmas often involves gathering for carols and church services, while others gather with colleagues, family or friends. It’s a tradition that helps us think of others and enjoy the relationships we share.
“I think the beauty of that is that we start focusing on ‘we’, rather than ‘me’… and those are the traditions that I think are the best,” Felicia says.
The Tradition of Giving
While gift-giving can become excessive, with a little intention, we can use it to remember higher values, says Michaela Chanmugam.
“As a mum of three with a seven-, five- and three-year-old, I cannot imagine Christmas morning without Christmas presents – I don't think I can ever get away from it,” she says. “But I think it's about [taking] those Christmas presents to make them part of a larger conversation … to instill in my children that life is more than just this physical gift.”
Christmas Traditions are Great for Kids - AND Teens
Inexpensive family traditions are great for children, “to build milestones and memories for them,” says Felicia. Simple ideas include:
Youth worker, Nathan Brewer, encourages us not to forget our teenagers when it comes to family traditions.
“Don't make the mistake of assuming young people… don't want [tradition],” he says. “In some ways, they crave it more because everything is changing so quickly. Whilst you don’t want to do the same bland, boring thing all the time, having a consistent thing that happens every year … is really stabilising.”
The Christian Tradition
As a presenter on Vision Christian Radio, Felicia is passionate about sharing the Christmas story.
“The true meaning of Christmas is that there was a little baby named Jesus, born in Bethlehem,” she says. “He grew up, and then eventually he died and rose again for our sins. That's the meaning of Christmas, and it's been around for 2000 years … The way that we celebrate that might change, but the true meaning actually has stayed the same. I think that's beautiful.”
#helpinghandstvau #makingtheworldabetterplace #paneldiscussion #impactmakers #impact #gamechangers #socialgood #tvshowforsocialgood #christmas #christmastraditions #christmastradition #theimportanceofchristmastraditiion #christmasgiving #generosity #helpingothers #felicialimmer #visionradio #vision #nathanbrewer #michaelachanmugam #samaritanspurse #samaritanspurseaustralianewzealand #operationchristmaschild #OCC #OCC_anz
