Who doesn’t love Christmas? The twinkling lights, the carols, and the presents are some of the things we look forward to every year. If you have a knack for writing, why not explore it further by keeping a Christmas journal this season? It’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit and save your memories for years to come.
Keeping a Christmas journal is also an excellent way of keeping track of your life and recording memorable experiences so that you can always go back and read about them later on. So what are you waiting for? Get started with these tips for planning a Christmas-themed journal this season!
Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash
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What is a Christmas Journal?
A Christmas journal is nothing fancy, it's just a journal that you use to record your memories and traditions at Christmas. There are so many options for a Christmas Journal that it could be overwhelming, but don't let it be! I suggest a lined or dot graph journal with plenty of pages to add your entries. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Scribbles That Matter-dot grid layout, excellent paper weight, and great to use with any accessories (markers, pens, stickers, ephemera anything!)
- Amazon has excellent journals starting at $5.00, there's something for everyone.
- Promptly Journals has a variety of journals, either guided journals or blank ones.
If you're interested in pens check out my post here, these are some of my favorites!
What to Journal in Your Christmas Journal
You can write anything you'd like to write about in your Christmas journal. There will be plenty to write about this Christmas season, but these 6 topics will get you started!
- Journal About the Birth of Jesus
- Journal Your Favorite Christmas Songs
- Journal Your Favorite Christmas Memories
- Journal About Why You Love Christmas
- Journal Your Christmas Wishes
- Journal About the Coming New Year
Journal About The Birth of Jesus
We've all heard, and probably said, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” and it is the number one reason we, as Christians, celebrate Christmas. Take some time in your journal to reflect on His birth. I find the more I think about it, the more amazed I am! Journal about Mary, and what you think she might have been feeling or doing. She was a young girl, and all of the fanfare that surrounded the birth of Jesus was special to her. the Bible even says she treasured those things and thought about them often. Luke 2:19
Journal Your Favorite Christmas Songs
I love music, and I really love Christmas music. I have sacred songs on my favorites list, and I have other Christmas carols on my list. My favorite sacred Christmas song is O Holy Night, and my favorite non-Christian song is “Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer!” When you are journaling your favorite songs take some time to write why these songs are special to you.
“Oh Holy Night” is my favorite because I used to sing it when I was in choir and sang solos. It was a difficult song to learn when I was younger, and I felt quite accomplished after I had the song down pat!
“Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer” is on my favorites list because my grandmother loved it! She would turn it up on the radio and she said she was like that Grandma! My grandmother was a hoot!
Take a few pages in your Christmas journal and write about your favorite songs.
Journal About Your Favorite Christmas Memories
Do you have any special Christmas memories that you’d like to preserve? If so, write about them in your Christmas journal. It’s like having your very own Christmas scrapbook, and it can be a great way of reminding yourself of the good times and cherished memories associated with Christmas.
One of my favorite Christmases was when I was 14. I lived in Florida with my dad and stepmom. I woke up Christmas morning and there were so many presents under the tree. I was so excited. I had asked Santa for a Cabbage Patch doll.
After the presents were all open, and there was no Cabbage Patch doll, I was a little disappointed. My dad pulled an envelope from behind his chair and said “one more present for Heather!” I opened it and the note was a clue to follow. Even with the surprise, I didn't think it was the doll. I knew they were hard to find, and I really wasn't expecting it.
So I followed the scavenger hunt they had created for me. I read the final clue that said “silly girl don't you know Christmas presents are under the Christmas tree!” I ran inside and under the Christmas tree was a yellow and green box with Cabbage Patch Twins inside! I was so excited! I knew how much my dad had gone through that year to get Cabbage Patch dolls!
It was the 80s, they were new, and they were a hot commodity! I still have those twins today! They are very special to me.
Journal About Why You Love Christmas
There are many things you can do in your Christmas journal to reflect on the Christmas season. Another idea is to write about why you love Christmas so much and you can go into detail about all the different elements of the holiday that you love.
You might want to write about how you look forward to Christmas Eve service at church, spending time with your family, listening to Christmas carols, watching your favorite holiday movies, going to gift exchanges, and more. There are so many things to love about Christmas and journaling your favorite is perfect for your Christmas journal!
Journal Your Christmas Wishes
You can also write about your Christmas wishes in your Christmas journal. This is a good idea if you want to make a Christmas journal that is not just focused on the past but also has some wishes for the future. You can write down wishes related to health, family, relationships, career, money, and anything you want.
You can even write wishes that have nothing to do with Christmas but are personal goals that you have and will help you keep track of them as you go through the new year. You can also write down wishes for other people you love and have them read your journal to see what you would like for them this Christmas or New Year's Day.
Journal About the New Year Coming
As you close the door on the previous year and open the door to a new one, you may want to reflect on any changes you want to make in your life. You can write these down in your Christmas journal to help you keep track of them and stay motivated. You can write about how you want to improve your health, relationship, professional life, finances, and more. You can even jot down things you want to change in your personal life so that you have a fresh start with a clean slate. I do recommend if you are going to keep journaling through the year (I know you are) start a new journal each January.
Wrapping up
Get it? Wrapping up! Yeah, I'll be here all week! But seriously, No matter what you decide to write about in your Christmas journal, it’s important to remember to be sincere and authentic as you write. This is a great way to explore your creativity and get into the holiday spirit!
Whether you want to share memories, wishes, or plans for the future, your Christmas journal is a unique way to keep your memories. Think about giving your loved ones a journal they can journal in too! It is something that you can keep for the rest of your life and look back on fondly in years to come.