The World's First Christmas Present

Baby Jesus In A Box

This year I had the idea (I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere so someone else actually had the idea, but I just remembered it this year) to wrap our baby Jesus from our Nativity scene in a box, in pretty wrapping paper, with a bow, and have the youngest child open that present first. We usually just process around the house with the figure singing "Happy Birthday", but this year the kids were shocked that I was actually forcing them to open a present first. They were happy to discover that it was the baby Jesus. Anyway, they opened this present first, because Christ was the world's first Christmas gift, given by the Creator, Himself. I think the symbolism will help to keep it a little more clear in their minds why we give gifts at Christmas time. Next year, I'll wrap the "present" and put it out on the first Suday of Advent, so that they'll see it all through Advent, anticipating Christmas morning when they can open it again.