“Offering a blessing for your Christmas tree brings a moment of spirituality to the secular tradition of purchasing, decorating, and lighting your tree.”

Practicing Faith at Home

Pastor Traci Smith believes that, “Faith is learned when it is woven seamlessly into the fabric of everyday life.” In her book, Seamless Faith, she equips faithful households in the weaving of everyday and faith by offering simple practices. What follows is her Christmas Tree Blessing, as printed in Seamless Faith, Chalice Press 2014. The new edition is called Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home.

Blessing for the Christmas Tree

In the United States, there seems to be a sharp division between secular Christmas traditions (the tree, the stockings, Santa) and Christian traditions (the manger scene, attending church, singing Christmas carols). As the tree is the focal point in many homes during Christmas, blessing the tree and setting up a manger scene under the tree (as opposed to gifts) can highlight the Christian significance of the day, something culture has lost sight of.

Designed for All Ages

How To
Before the tree is decorated, gather everyone together and read the following blessing:

God who created the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
the stars in the sky, and the trees in the ground,
bless this tree as we decorate it and make it joyful symbol in our home.
May its branches remind us of the shade and shelter
you provide for us and for many creatures.
May its trunk remind us of your strength.
May its lights bring us peace.
May we remember your gift to us this season, the gift of the baby Jesus.
Amen.

Variations
• Print the blessing on an ornament and say it as the ornament is hung on the tree.

• Write a new blessing each year and collect them from year to year.

• Cut down your own tree and say this blessing before the tree is cut down and brought home.

• As always, adapt the language of the blessing to the age of your children or your own traditions and culture.