Tastē Tuesday~
One of my favorite Christmas traditions that my family passed down was celebrating Christmas with a birthday cake for Jesus. Each Christmas Eve my parents had a Christmas party; the evening culminating in singing "Happy Birthday" and cutting into the cake.
When I married but before our Christmas parties started, we had the birthday cake on Christmas Eve. We much prefer to share with all of our friends and family, and this year, we held our own third annual Christmas party…though since most of our audience is under the age of 8, we have ours a couple of weeks before the 25th and in the middle of the day before nap time! Santa arrives and lets each child sit on his lap to tell him their most desired gifts. After the fun festivities, we bring are reminded of the real reason for our gathering by cutting into the cake laden with meaning. Two components of the cake cannot be seen in the picture below - the angel and the star. I hang them from the light fixture above the cake.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions that my family passed down was celebrating Christmas with a birthday cake for Jesus. Each Christmas Eve my parents had a Christmas party; the evening culminating in singing "Happy Birthday" and cutting into the cake.
When I married but before our Christmas parties started, we had the birthday cake on Christmas Eve. We much prefer to share with all of our friends and family, and this year, we held our own third annual Christmas party…though since most of our audience is under the age of 8, we have ours a couple of weeks before the 25th and in the middle of the day before nap time! Santa arrives and lets each child sit on his lap to tell him their most desired gifts. After the fun festivities, we bring are reminded of the real reason for our gathering by cutting into the cake laden with meaning. Two components of the cake cannot be seen in the picture below - the angel and the star. I hang them from the light fixture above the cake.
The meaning of the Christmas birthday cake can be modified for the audience. Older children and adults can begin by reading Luke 1-2 or for younger kids, a simple retelling of Jesus' birth may be easier. Then…the cake itself can be explained.
*The shape of the cake is round with no end, showing that God's love is never ending.
*The cake is chocolate (dark), signifying our dark hearts before we know Jesus. We can't get into heaven when our hearts are so full of sin.
*The angel reminds us of the good tidings that were brought to the shepherds the night of Jesus' birth. It also reminds us of the good news we can bring to others.
*The star reminds us of the star over Bethlehem and how the wise men followed it to worship the Lord Jesus. It reminds us that we should worship and follow Him everyday.
*The red candles remind us of Jesus' blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
*As you light the candles, the light shows us that Jesus can shine in our hearts if we ask Him to be our Savior. Each one of them, totaling 12, reminds us to let His light shine every month of the year, not just at Christmas time.
*The evergreens that surround the cake remind us of something living and growing. If we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, we are going to grow and get to know Him more.
*The shape of the cake is round with no end, showing that God's love is never ending.
*The cake is chocolate (dark), signifying our dark hearts before we know Jesus. We can't get into heaven when our hearts are so full of sin.
*The angel reminds us of the good tidings that were brought to the shepherds the night of Jesus' birth. It also reminds us of the good news we can bring to others.
*The star reminds us of the star over Bethlehem and how the wise men followed it to worship the Lord Jesus. It reminds us that we should worship and follow Him everyday.
*The red candles remind us of Jesus' blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
*As you light the candles, the light shows us that Jesus can shine in our hearts if we ask Him to be our Savior. Each one of them, totaling 12, reminds us to let His light shine every month of the year, not just at Christmas time.
*The evergreens that surround the cake remind us of something living and growing. If we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, we are going to grow and get to know Him more.
Despite the specific aspects of the cake that lend significance, each year I have modified the cake a bit. This year, I returned to a basic chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Two years ago I did a frozen chocolate cake with peppermint ice cream filling. Last year, it was chocolate with peppermint frosting.
I always enjoy capturing the kids' attention because they are so eager to get a piece of cake, and then hearing them recount parts of the Christmas story. Who knew a cake could tell us the greatest news on Earth!
I always enjoy capturing the kids' attention because they are so eager to get a piece of cake, and then hearing them recount parts of the Christmas story. Who knew a cake could tell us the greatest news on Earth!
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