Looking for a family tradition that’s fun, faith-filled, and totally free? Create this memory one night this month, under the tree.
A friend told me about this tradition a few years back, and I immediately knew we had to try it. She described how her family spreads a blanket in front of their Christmas tree, turns off all the lights, and eats dinner by candlelight while imagining what it was like to be shepherds that night in Bethlehem.
I loved it. And of course I added my own spin to it too:
Set the Scene
Pick a night when no one’s rushing. Spread a blanket in front of your Christmas tree and turn off the tree lights completely—let the room fall into hush. Gather whatever food sounds good—cheese and crackers, sandwiches, pizza, cookies, whatever works. Let the warm smells of dinner and the sparkle of ornaments in the dark set the stage.
Bring battery-operated candles or flashlights for a little bit of light.
Sit close in the almost-dark. Let the quiet wrap around you.
Step Into the Story
As you're eating, start wondering aloud: what must it have been like to be a shepherd that night when Jesus was born? Out in the fields. Cold maybe. Tired. Watching sheep. Doing what they always did. Not expecting anything to change.
If you want, cue a little background atmosphere—like crickets and owls or sheep sounds on Apple Music. If your kids are younger, you could hide cut-out paper sheep around the room beforehand and have them search for "lost sheep" before resting to eat.
The Moment Everything Changes
When you're finished eating, read the Christmas story from Luke 2. Read it slowly, by candlelight. Let the darkness hold the words.
When you get to verse 9—"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them"—suddenly flip on the tree lights and hit play on a high-energy worship song. We used Reliant K’s Angels We Have Heard on High.
Let the room flood with light. Let the music rise like joy. Let the moment feel like what it was: heaven breaking through. Because that's what happened that night.
The shepherds were just doing their job. Sitting in the dark. Watching sheep. Being faithful in the small, repetitive work.
And heaven broke through.
Why It Sticks
There's something about waiting in the dark that helps us enter the story instead of just hearing it again. Sitting in the shadows makes the light land louder.
God didn't show up in the palace or the temple first. He came to people on the ground—dirty hands, sheep nearby, just trying to do their work well.
And when glory showed up, it changed everything.
Make It Your Own
Try it this year. Turn off the lights. Sit on the floor. Be shepherds for a night.
And watch what happens when heaven breaks through.
