1. Saint Quote
2. Oplatki
The Oplatki are enjoyed by families, typically right before the Christmas Eve meal. The entire family will gather around the table with the Oplatek. Generally the eldest member of the family will begin the ritual by breaking off a piece of the wafer and passing it to another family member with a blessing. This blessing can simply consist of what you desire for your loved one in the upcoming year – whether it be good health, success, or happiness. The purpose of this act is … read more (or watch this ADORABLE Grandma and Grandpa demonstrate their version of the oplatki tradition below)
3. Prayer Tip
4. Sacred Art
5. Torn Wrapping Paper?
When all of your gifts are opened and there is a large accumulation of wrapping paper, do the following:
Get a miniature statue of Jesus lying in a manger.
When your family is occupied, take the ripped up wrapping paper pieces and fold them around the baby Jesus statue.
Do this until the paper takes a large, ball form.
Later that evening before going to bed, have your family unwrap the ball piece by piece.
After each piece is taken off, have them say out loud something they are thankful for (make sure you participate as well).
At the end, the person who uncovers the baby Jesus can place Him in a special place amongst your Christmas decorations.
Explain to your family that Jesus is the greatest gift, and that the happiest people are those who can be grateful for what He has given us
For older family members, talk about the symbolism of the wrapping paper in how it represents our efforts to become holy. We are never perfect– in fact, we are more often than not bored, torn up inside, and always trying to find a way to “fit” into a world in which we don’t always belong. But when we wrap ourselves together into a community with Christ as the center, we find our purpose.
And that is something to be truly grateful for!