Christmas is considered the most wonderful time of the year.  I have to admit that, despite the cold, I agree with that completely.  I just love Christmas.  But the thing about Christmas is that behind all the beauty and majesty of it, there is a fair amount of contradiction, confusion, and trickiness with many of the Christmas traditions and our faith.  What does the Bible really have to say about Christmas and where did all of the rest of the stuff come from?

The newest What’s in the Bible? DVD and curriculum tackle these subjects head on.  One of the tricky bits discussed in the videos is “Why do we have Christmas trees?”  The answer might surprise you.  You can view the video here.

Using this curriculum is a fun, engaging way to teach these topics to your kids, but there is more you can do.  First of all, ask your volunteers to research Christmas trees before viewing the videos.  Then, have them compare their research to what they learn in the video.  Next, encourage them to question why they personally use Christmas trees.  Most likely, they’ve never really thought about it before but after watching the video, the Christmas tree may have a whole new meaning for them.

When you are teaching the lesson for the kids, I would start by asking the kids if they knew that other cultures believed in other gods?  Then discuss some of those beliefs.  I would then address that the Bible tells us there is only one True God and that all others are false, which is why Thor’s tree could be cut down so easily.  Following that discussion, I would remind them of the reasons for the Christmas tree and that it is more than just something to put presents under, but it is a symbol of the God we serve, who always loves us and forgives us.  I’d encourage families to take the time while setting up their tree to create conversation about why we serve Jesus.

What’s in the Bible? Why Do We Call it Christmas? is available now at curriculum.whatsinthebible.com for only $79.99.  From what I can tell, this is a really good curriculum that does an excellent job addressing some of the less talked about parts of Christmas.  You can purchase the DVDs individually as well, which would make a great Christmas present for the families in your church.