SALT LAKE CITY — Celebrate the real reason of the season with a unique Christmas tradition centered on Christ.
Sarah Cook with Olivet Designs shared her “Bethlehem Dinner” idea. She explained that this idea stemmed from her family’s love of the “Jerusalem Dinner” they have during Easter.
“We loved it so much, we wanted to bring that same kind of magic to Christmastime,” she said.
At their Bethlehem Dinner, they serve Mediterranean-style foods and include symbolic elements that connect Christmas to Easter.
“There’s so many, like, symbols and similarities between the two holidays. I just love that these two meals bring both of those together,” Cook added.
She emphasized that this tradition can be simple and flexible, and that it can happen anytime during the season.
“Some years, honestly, it’s a rotisserie chicken and we just sit on the floor,” Cook said.
Other times, the meal includes olives, nuts, cheeses, charcuterie boards and treats.
“It’s sitting by the Christmas tree, gathered, taking time during the season to be quiet, and just to really focus on that meaning of Christmas and how it relates to Easter,” she explained.
Cook brings scripture and symbolism into the evening as well. Her family reads Luke 2, sings hymns and talks about the connections between Christ’s birth and crucifixion. She also brings in physical symbol.
“We talk about the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger,” she said. “We have our cloth and I’ll let my kids feel that and hold it, and then we talk about how when he was crucified, his body was taken down and wrapped and laid in a tomb.”
Find more ideas and inspiration from Sarah Cook on Instagram, @olivet.designs.