SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 Celebrate the real reason of the season with a unique Christmas tradition centered on Christ.<\/p>\n
Sarah Cook with Olivet Designs shared her \u201cBethlehem Dinner\u201d idea. She explained that this idea stemmed from her family\u2019s love of the \u201cJerusalem Dinner\u201d they have during Easter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe loved it so much, we wanted to bring that same kind of magic to Christmastime,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At their Bethlehem Dinner, they serve Mediterranean-style foods and include symbolic elements that connect Christmas to Easter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so many, like, symbols and similarities between the two holidays. I just love that these two meals bring both of those together,\u201d Cook added.<\/p>\n
She emphasized that this tradition can be simple and flexible, and that it can happen anytime during the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome years, honestly, it\u2019s a rotisserie chicken and we just sit on the floor,\u201d Cook said.<\/p>\n
Other times, the meal includes olives, nuts, cheeses, charcuterie boards and treats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Cook brings scripture and symbolism into the evening as well. Her family reads Luke 2, sings hymns and talks about the connections between Christ\u2019s birth and crucifixion. She also brings in physical symbol.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk about the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have our cloth and I\u2019ll 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Find more ideas and inspiration from Sarah Cook on Instagram, @olivet.designs<\/a>.<\/p>\n