Advent Activity - Wrapping Gifts

Tonight we read about the history of wrapping Christmas gifts. In Germany the children recieved wrapped gifts called "Christ-bundles." The bundles often contained sugar plums, apples, nuts and something educational like a writing tablet or books. They were tied up with ribbon, and as a nice little add-on (you know, sometimes we tie in an ornament or other little trinket) there was a reminder to be a good little child all year long - a "Christ rod." Both girls agreed that they were happy not have that as one of our traditions!

In American tradition it was always more thoughtful to make a gift. If you had to you bought a gift, but to make it more special you would wrap the gift nicely in brown paper often decorated with dried flowers or a clipping from a magazine.

I asked the girls what the very first Christmas gift was. Kennedy was happy to announce that it was baby Jesus! I asked if this gift was wrapped. Aubrey shouted "He was wrapped in wash cloths!" You know, swaddling clothes, wash cloths - same diff, right?

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling

clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7

That is what Christmas is all about! God sent us the gift of His Son that very first Christmas. He came as a man so that we could better understand him! He has walked where we walk. He has been hurt and He has been sad and He has been poor. He could have come as the King that He is but He humbled Himself for us!

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:6-8

Tonight we wrapped some gifts for the girls' cousins. We didn't have any Christmasy gift bags so I made  a couple drawstring bags with Christmas material I used to make PJ pants for Kennedy's very first Christmas! I just winged these bags; they are really easy and quick to make. You can find a great tutorial HERE on Made. Another easy activity would be to "make" wrapping paper with stamps/crayons/stickers/etc with brown paper (ie - grocery bags).

The girls are calling these "Santa Sacks." They not only make great (reusable!) gift bags but would also make a great gift! Here is another bag I made a while ago to house the counting bears. 

Happy Advent!