Update: This giveaway is over. The winner is Fraulein Adkins. Congratulations, Fraulein, you have won a framed print of an Amish painting from Rachel’s Country Store!
It’s December and reminders of Christmas are everywhere! I’m often asked about how the Amish celebrate holidays such as Christmas. A few weeks ago, I shared a post titled “How the Amish Decorate for Christmas.” Today, I’d like to elaborate on that and give you 7 tips for celebrating Christmas like the Amish. Afterward, I’ll share with you a small tidbit about how the Amish make homemade Christmas cards, then I have a giveaway of a framed print of a painting by my Amish friend Miriam!
This print is sold online and in the store at Rachel’s Country Store. Here is the link: http://www.rachelscountrystore.com/Amish-Made/Pictures/Miriam-Framed-Prints-Boy-And-Girl-With-Toys.aspx
I’ve featured Rachel in blog posts several times, as well as in my non-fiction book Plain Wisdom. If you are looking for Amish-made gifts for friends and family, I encourage you to check out Rachel’s site at: http://www.rachelscountrystore.com/index.aspx
7 Tips for Celebrating Christmas Like the Amish
The Amish celebrate Christmas in simplicity and tradition. They don’t include Santa, electric lights, tinsel, ribbons, fancy wrapping paper, or Christmas trees, but through simple and creative ways, they honor the season of Christ’s birth.
Here are several decorating ideas that were inspired by the Amish way of celebrating Christmas. We too can make this year’s holiday celebrations more memorable by keeping them simple.
- Turn off the lights. Light candles (or even pull out old kerosene lamps) and set the mood for an evening of singing carols, telling favorite family tales, or reading Christmas stories with friends and family.
- Put away the tinsel and expensive decorations. Pull out old Christmas cards and string them along the walls in your living areas. Spend a moment thinking about each of the senders.
- Keep gifts practical. Think of “tools of the trade”—gifts that reflect and would be useful to what family members do in their respective professions. Additionally, homemade gifts are always appreciated.
- Show kindness to your neighbors. Bring your family and friends together to donate food, toys, and clothes to those friends and neighbors especially affected by the economy.
- Keep the kitchen a haven. Prepare food in advance whenever you can so that the day of festivities can be spent with ones you love. Don’t get crushed by the stress and expense of doing it all by yourself. Invite guests to bring their favorite traditional dishes.
- Make it a family affair. When it’s time to clean up, bring your family together in the kitchen. Talk about your favorite parts of the party while doing the dishes and wiping off counters.
- Be thankful. Giving thanks doesn’t have to end after Thanksgiving. Spend time telling loved ones how much they mean to you throughout the season and see how much joy it brings to them and you.
However you celebrate Christmas, I hope you’ll soak in the hope we have through Christ, and celebrate in a way that fills your mind and heart with Him while making the day a precious memory for loved ones.
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A tradition often enjoyed at Christmastime is creating and sending out Christmas cards. Many families spend the long winter evenings with craft items spread out over a table. Creativity flows as they use paints, colored pencils, fabrics, buttons, ribbons, and other items to make beautiful and practical crafts.
As the garden produces the last of its vegetables in late October, families within the Amish community begin to look forward to making, sending, and receiving cards. The cards received become the source of decoration for the season. This tradition fits in with who the Amish are by connecting them to people they love, people who took time, thought, and effort to design a card for them.
The cards may be set on tables, counters, or mantles, but more often they are placed on a string that’s connected from one wall to another. When the season is over, the cards are packed away and often brought out again the following year—similar to Christmas ornaments children and families make and display on their trees year after year.
Giveaway
Today’s giveaway is a print of a painting by Old Order Amish artist Miriam Flaud. To enter to win, simply comment on this post. To buy this item from Rachel’s Country Store, visit this link: http://www.rachelscountrystore.com/Amish-Made/Pictures/Miriam-Framed-Prints-Boy-And-Girl-With-Toys.aspx
If you are reading about this giveaway anywhere other than my website, such as on Facebook, in an email, or on Goodreads, please hop on over to my website by clicking here: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2013/12/04/7-tips-for-celebrating-christmas-like-the-amish and then leave a comment at the bottom of the post under the words “Leave a Reply.”
The winner of last week’s blog post is Catherine Helmick. Congratulations, Catherine! You have won an autographed copy of The Dawn of Christmas and a bar of oatmeal and honey soap!
Only comments left on my website will be entered into the giveaway.
The deadline for this contest is Wednesday, December 11, at noon Eastern Time. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted privately, as well as announced on next week’s post.
As always, please remember that all of my giveaways are limited to US residents only. For a complete explanation of the terms and conditions of this giveaway, please go to http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/giveaway-rules/
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