Christmas classics have lessons to take away, letting the kids take in mind important values they can apply in real life.
Every Christmas season, we get to rediscover and revisit some classics that we want the younger generations to get familiarized with. We also pick stories with important lessons to take away to let the kids know about the spirit of Christmas.
The Spirit of Christmas is Peace by Linda DeGree is a children’s story following an alien learning about Christmas on Earth through a choir of children and a band of angels in heaven. This story is a play that features 35 cast members, allowing students or kids to have their moments in conveying the true meaning of Christmas.
Here are important lessons to take away from children’s Christmas stories:
What Makes You Different is What Makes You Unique
In Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, we get introduced to Rudolph, a reindeer with a red nose. His nose is so different from the other reindeer as it is red and glowing. The other reindeer would call him names and laugh at him. However, Santa sees Rudolph as a unique individual. Because of the glowing red nose, he puts Rudolph at the front of the sleigh to lead everyone in the way through the night.
The story conveys a message about accepting oneself. What makes you different is what makes you unique. It also makes you powerful. It is one of the most important lessons to take away for children who are experiencing insecurities as they grow and develop.
Appreciate the Present, Enjoy Your Youth
Hans Christian Anderson conveys a lesson about appreciating what’s in the now in his book The Fir Tree. It is a story of a young tree who can’t wait to grow up. Because it only focuses on growing up, it isn’t able to appreciate the beauty of the present.
Thinking about happiness in the present is one of the main lessons to take away from the story.
You are a Gift to Everyone
Philip Van Doren Stern’s The Greatest Gift introduces its readers to George, a man who contemplates ending his life. An odd man strikes up a conversation with George, letting him share with the man that he wishes he hadn’t been born. When the odd man says that his wish has been granted, he goes home, witnessing everything to be different from what he knows. Nobody recognizes him, and all the people he knows are led to a life of suffering because he isn’t there to guide them on the right path.
The moral lesson of the story is that you matter to your family and friends. You are important to them. You make a difference in their lives, and you are always a ray of light to someone you never thought you would be.
It’s Never About the Gifts or the Money
This children’s Christmas classic has one of the most important lessons to take away in a story – Christmas is never about gifts or money. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss, the sneaky and snarky Grinch always tries to ruin Whoville’s plans for Christmas by ruining their Christmas decorations and stealing their gifts. However, he realizes that the inhabitants of Whoville still find a way to celebrate Christmas, making him want to join and get accepted into the community.
The Realest Things are the Ones We Can’t See
We’ve all been living the saying “To see is to believe” all our lives. However, it does not always apply to things that are abstract, such as love, peace, the sense of family, aspirations, and deepest wishes for happiness.
In Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express, we follow a young boy who goes on an adventure to the North Pole, where Santa lives. He really likes the sound of the reindeer’s bells as they drag the sleigh when Santa is on his mission to bring gifts to children, so he wishes for a bell to take home. His wish is granted, but the bell falls through a hole in his pocket, leaving it behind as he goes home. In the morning, he finds a gift under the Christmas tree with a note from Santa that he has left his bell on the train. Inside the box is the bell from one of Santa’s reindeer. The young boy and his sister love the sound of the bell. However, their parents don’t hear the sound of the bell.
Sometimes, the realest things are the ones we can’t see. It is the happiness that we have deep inside us. Even if the others cannot see it, we still believe in its power and we feel like we can make the world a better place.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Christmas classics have lessons to take away that the readers can carry all their lives. Sometimes, they even rediscover these lessons in life and pass it down to the newer generations that walk the path of dreams and aspirations.
Just like in Linda DeGree’s The Spirit of Christmas is Peace, readers can discover the true meaning of Christmas through words that can bring forth a world of imagination.
You can get a copy of The Spirit of Christmas is Peace by Linda DeGree here.
