Christmas isn't just one day, but a whole season! It lasts twelve days, from Christmas Day to Epiphany (January 6). Keep celebrating! Gather with friends and family, eat cookies, enjoy your Christmas decorations, watch Christmas movies, and sing all your favorite Christmas songs. Song suggestions for each day follow, but sing whichever ones your family likes best.

Wednesday, December 26 - St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
Sing or listen to "Joy to the world". Bundle up and go outside to sing. Join your voices with the fields, rocks, hills, and all the earth! Jesus is born, and this is good news for creation. Notice the ways that the world outside is "singing" its praise: listen for birds singing, the sound of the wind through tree branches, and other nature sounds.
Thursday, December 27 - St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
Sing or listen to "Go tell it on the mountain". Today the church remembers St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. John's gospel describes Christ as the Word-made-flesh who came to live among us. In Jesus, God comes to us in person to bring us love and light. With John and all messengers of good tidings, we shout from the mountaintop the joyful news that Jesus is born!
Friday, December 28 - The Holy Innocents
Sing or listen to "O little town of Bethlehem". Build a fort out of chairs, couches, pillows, and blankets. Make sure there is plenty of room in the inn-fill your fort with stuffed animals, family members, and pets. Light a flashlight, lantern, or battery-powered candle inside your fort and think about Jesus being born among the animals in that little town called Bethlehem.
Saturday, December 29 - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury
Sing or listen to "O come, all ye faithful". Jesus is born, and it is a happy morning! Cook breakfast together with your family-something delicious like pancakes or waffles. While you are cooking and eating, talk about your favorite parts of the Christmas season so far.
Sunday, December 30 - The First Sunday After Christmas
Sing or listen to "Love has come". Celebrate love today. Call, text, FaceTime, or Skype family and friends who live far away and tell them you love them. At bedtime, bless one another by tracing the sign of the cross on each other's foreheads and saying, "Jesus loves you and so do I!"
Monday, December 31 - The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Sing or listen to "It came upon the midnight clear". At Christmas midnight, the angels welcomed Jesus. At midnight tonight, we welcome a new year. Say a special prayer together tonight. Thank God for the blessings of this past year. Ask God for hope and protection in the new year. Pray for peace and healing for all people, nations, and creation.
Tuesday, January 1
Sing or listen to "What child is this". The church observes this day as "Name of Jesus," because according to Jewish tradition, baby boys received their names on the eighth day of life. Do you know what your name means? Were you named after someone? Do you have a nickname? Remember today that in baptism, you were also given the name "Child of God."
Wednesday, January 2
Sing or listen to "Away in a manger". While baby Jesus slept in the manger, his parents, the animals, and even the stars watched him and protected him. Tonight, hang stars above your bed and put some stuffed animals near you to watch you sleep. Remember that Jesus loves you and promises to guard you, sleeping or waking.
Thursday, January 3
Sing or listen to "Silent night, holy night!". Tonight, gather and light as many candles as you can find in your home. Turn off the lights. Notice how the candlelight bounces and flickers around the room. Have a leader say, "Jesus Christ is the light of the world." Everybody else responds, "The light no darkness can overcome." Take turns being the leader.
Friday, January 4
Sing or listen to "Angels, from the realms of glory". Have the magi from your nativity set been waiting to come to the manger? Move them somewhere a little closer to the nativity scene, then go outside and look for the brightest star you can see in the sky.
Saturday, January 5
Sing or listen to "Your little ones, dear Lord". Collect all the stars you can find in your home-the stars you hung over your bed, star ornaments from the Christmas tree-and place them around your nativity scene. Hang the biggest one over the manger. Now your magi figures will know where Jesus is!
Sunday, January 6 - The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Sing or listen to "The first Noel". Have a home blessing. Notice what you are thankful for in each room of your home, and ask for God's blessing ("God, bless our kitchen and the conversations we have there"). Continue the celebration with other Epiphany traditions, like burning pine branches or eating king cake.

Christmas Blessings!