Christmas is more than just one day in the Christian faith. It is a festival that does not end on December 26 when the stores stop playing holiday music and markdown all related merchandise. It is a whole season of the lectionary church year – 12 days total beginning with Christmas Day on December 25 and running through January 5, the day before Epiphany.
This year, encourage others to celebrate each of the 12 days of Christmas with a gift or act of kindness – random or intentional. Spread the joyful wonder and good news at home, and in your neighborhood, church, and community. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit to be shared and good for our health too!
Here are 12 ideas of Christmas kindness for all ages to get started – and to inspire others!
Share a special message and write messages or draw pictures and place them randomly at home, church, school, place of work, even on your mail box!
Pay it forward with little ways, like opening a door; paying for the bus fare for the person behind you; or even gifting coffee at the local coffee shop (a cultural favorite).
Visit a senior residence or care facility and bring a puzzle or game. Invite residents to join you in the fun and fellowship. Share the story of Christmas with your playmate(s) and ask them to tell you about their Christmas traditions.
Go to the children’s section of your local library and select a picture book or two. Then sit and offer to read out loud to a little one. Not only will this be gift to the child(ren), but may also give a parent or caregiver the gift of sitting nearby and read to themselves.
Create pinecone treats for birds (a fun project for your community!) and hang from a branch near a playground or outside the window of someone who is homebound. Random acts of kindness are for all God’s creatures!
Sit on a bench near a path and share Christmas joy to those passing by through affirmations or your favorite Christmas hymns!
Surprise someone at home by doing a chore without being asked or doing a chore usually done by someone else. Follow the garbage truck in your neighborhood and bring people’s cans or recycling bins in from the curb.
Use found items to spell out the word joy where others will find it. Write joy in the snow or on a snow-covered windshield. Draw it in the sand on the beach. Lay it out with sticks in your yard. This is the season to spread joy to the world!
Make a big pot of soup, freeze in individual servings, and ask your visitation team to deliver during visits with the elderly. Help support kids who face food insecurity by creating snack packs and deliver them to a local food shelf to hand out while school is out.
Write words of hope, love, peace, and joy with markers on the feet of new socks or tuck messages written on paper inside. Deliver for distribution at a local shelter or hand out to individuals in need who you may see in your community.
Be intentional about looking at each person you encounter. Make eye contact and smile! Show each child of God that you see them. ou may be the first and only person who has done that for them recently.
Stay aware of the people, places, and things around you. Opportunities for random acts of kindness are everywhere! Watch for the person at the store who could use a hand or are searching for an item. Open all the car and store doors you can for others.
Celebrate all 12 days of Christmas with gifts or acts of kindness and bless others during this season of the church year and share it on social media with the tag #sparkhousereason! You may be featured on our social channels.
