Christmas Memories Light the World with Love

Editor’s Note: Christmas memories and family holiday traditions live large in our hearts. As part of our Light the World celebration, this is an open invitation to share some of yours in this space. Please contact your Stake Communication Media Specialist for how-to-submit details.

I love to read (books helped keep me sane during the pandemic) and I love cats – as you can tell from my slippers. The Christmas stockings were handmade by a friend many years ago, maybe 25 years or more. Each child chose their artwork, as well as the stocking border. I’m a widow and this photo is of an enjoyable home spot; also a place to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and family memories. — Cathy Hunter, Burleson Texas Stake

Tradition is such a heartwarming word! It stirs up fond memories just thinking about it! It’s hard to choose just one tradition to share! 

Aside from our family traditions of smorgasbords of our favorite goodies, caroling, adopting Christmas angels, serving the homeless, Christmas jammies, giving our “gifts to Christ”, and Chinese food on Christmas Eve, our family started a new tradition about 4 years ago. 

The Tunnel of Lights!! 

We moved to Texas in 2018. When Christmas time came around, we wanted to start a new tradition. We came up with a design and put a few lighted tunnels up the front steps in our yard. Lots of people stopped to talk about them and ask questions. It was so cheery and bright! There’s just something about light….and sharing it. We hoped it would grow into a neighborhood effort and that our neighbors would join us in the coming years…. our street was new, and not fully occupied yet. 

The next year, 2019, we expanded a little bit. We put tunnels up the steps and along the sidewalk in front of our house. We invited our neighbors on our street to join us. They weren’t quite ready yet… except for our next-door neighbors…they wanted to do it! We shared the building supply list with them and they put tunnels on the sidewalk in front of their house! Folks from the neighborhood would walk through the lighted tunnels at night, and it was so fun to hear the giggles of the kids as they ran by! 

In 2020, we again invited all of our neighbors to participate…. and this was the year!! 12 out of 13 homes on our culdesac joined in the fun! I think we all needed respite from the pandemic, and using the theme Light the World made it even more special to us. My husband helped our neighbors put their tunnels up, and everyone was out working …. lending an extra supply here and giving a helping hand there. One of our neighbors was in the hospital with a very serious case of covid, so my husband put their tunnels up for them. It was incredible to see the love and unity that was happening! Neighbors who had never met before were talking and getting to know each other. It felt so good. We had countless visitors from North Dallas over the course of the month! They came by foot; walking and running, in golf carts, on bikes, hoverboards, and even a couple of hayrides with people drove through. Our hearts were full of joy as we realized how special it was that the neighbors on our street all came together to create something positive for our community! 

This year, 2021, we again plan to bring the Tunnel of Lights to our community! Facebook tells me that we have almost 5,000 people interested in coming to see the lights this year. fb://event/?id=260932449197924 

We feel it is important to not only share the Christmas lights but to share the light of Christ, for He is the Light of the World! In harmony with the church’s initiative, we use the #lighttheworld message as often as we can. We include it in our Tunnel of Lights social media posts, and this year, we asked the missionaries if they could provide us with #lighttheworld pass along cards to hand out. They brought 3 big stacks over and we are so excited to share them! We have a special message lighting up a window at our house this year, but you’ll have to come see what it is for yourself! And make sure you grab a candy cane! 

Take a peek at the picture of our 2019 candy cane tree! (notice the lighttheworld sticker!) The candy cane tree is in its 3rd season of giving! The candy cane tree was created from the memory of a tradition my mother created. She had a cookie tree! She would make her delicious sugar cookies, package them in plastic bags, and hang them on a wooden tree. When we would go to family parties everyone loved to pick a cookie off the tree! When it wasn’t being used for real cookies, the tree was used to display salt dough ornaments. I knew I couldn’t make hundreds of cookies and hand them out every night, so the candy cane tree was born! Traditions can evolve over the years, and this one sure did! 

We hope to continue to light the world with this tradition for many years to come. We hope those who come can feel the spirit of Christ! —Kacey Judd, Prosper Texas Stake

Our favorite holiday tradition in our family is a secret Santa gift exchange where the only requirement is that the gifts be homemade. Our seven kids have come up with so many great ideas for their gifts to each other. We have really loved this tradition over the years.  I’ve attached pictures with examples from 2019. 

One son gave his sister a can he had decorated to hold her many pens and pencils. One son made his brother a name sign that he drew artwork for each letter of his brother’s name. Two of our sons drew each other’s names and gave each other a wooden block painted with his name and a homemade sword made out of newspaper tightly rolled.  Another daughter gave her brother a book she had made with watercolor paintings. Another son gave his sister a drawing he had made of her. And another daughter gave her brother a baseball hat that she had designed and created. — Jenna King, Richardson Texas Stake