There aren't many Rabe Family Christmas Traditions I'd recommend trying...but there is one that anyone with a Nativity scene can do, and your kids will love it whether you're in Rochester, Minnesota, Green Bay, Wisconsin, or Lake Mills, Iowa!

A Fun Christ-Centered Christmas Tradition Your Young Kids Will Love

Do you have a Nativity to set up for Christmas? Good, because you have to have that to make this work. There's one hard fast truth many people don't remember, there are four people that shouldn't be in the manger.

1) Jesus, obviously, can't be there until his BIRTHday.

2) The Wise Men! They didn't arrive until January 6th (the Epiphany, a Christian holiday primarily commemorating the Magi’s visit to the baby Jesus...the Magi being the wise men).

How Do I Do the Rabe Family Nativity Tradition?

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It's super easy.

a) Set up the Nativity, and put Jesus in a safe place where the kids won't see Him (it's important you don't forget where you put Him, no one wants to be the one in the family that lost Jesus).

b) Place the three Wise Men as far away from the manger as you can get while still being in the house.

c) Every day, move the Magi to another place (you'll have to kinda time it out so they arrive on time).

d) Tell your kids you saw the Wise Men on their way to the manger!

e) On Christmas morning, make sure the Baby Jesus is in the crib, and the Wise Men are looking over the baby. Maybe throw down some chocolate gold coins for good measure.

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Oh, wait...not THIS Elf. New Line Cinema
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And that's it. I think it's way better than Elf On a Shelf because the Wise Men don't represent snoops and tattletales, they represent something grander and life-altering. Also, they have gold and other stuff.

If you want to follow Scripture, then put the Wise Men in starting position ON Christmas day, arriving on the 6th. If you're like my dad, though, they arrive on Christmas day.

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To make it a learning opportunity, ask your kids what they think the Wise Men are thinking about, talking about, if they'd like a can of Who Hash, etc.

Here's a conversation I had about it in 2019. Just click play.

Want to make a comment on what I've written or share an idea? Here's my email address: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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