The 4th Annual Jesus Birthday Party

In the last couple years as my family has established traditions of our own, this birthday party of Jesus has become a favorite of mine. It's fun and simple, yet it drives home the message I want my kids to hold onto: Jesus came as a baby and our world hasn't been the same since his birth. He came to show us how to live our lives and ultimately take away the sins of the world.

{I wrote a guest post about this party recently at Seasons with Soul. And you can look back at past parties: 2010. 2011. 2012.}

We had postpone this year's party a week after we had some snow and ice that interrupted plans last weekend. Thankfully, most of the families were still able to come. We had 33 kids and their parents. Several families brought food to share and Courtney made another delicious cake. Cool detail: Her cake and my table cloths matched. Her cake was topped with the word "Joy," which was also on the plates I bought to serve cake. We didn't talk about any of this before hand, but it's a sweet reminder that God is in the details.

We collected money for Compassion International and canned good for Needline, our local food pantry. Another kid recently asked me how we could bring gifts to Jesus if he wasn't actually going to be at our party. After the reminder that Jesus lives in our hearts, I also explained how we live our lives and how we give to people who need help are gifts to Jesus. He tells us so.

Greg, who goes along so happily with my party planning ideas, played some Christmas carols on his guitar and then read "The Sparkle Box" and "The First Christmas Night." The kids also went home with a cup of goodies from Oriental Trading, which has a good selection of "Happy Birthday, Jesus" items, and an advent coloring book I found online.

The Jesus Birthday Party was a fun couple hours in the middle of a busy season and a chance to remember to come to Jesus like a child. Our savior's birthday is certainly worth celebrating!

Have you ever sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus? What's another tradition you love?
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