Tag: Christmas

7 Christmas Traditions You’ll Only Find in Utah

This post was originally published on the Temple Square blog by Amalia Reyes.

Christmas is next week, and if you’re in our neck of the woods, there are some great things to do with family and friends. Here are just a few!

Watching the Lights Turn on at Temple Square

This may go without saying, but here in Utah, seeing the Lights turn on at Temple Square is a long standing tradition for families of all walks of life. Temple Square always has something to offer, whether it be enjoying a performance at the Tabernacle or having dinner with a view. But, there’s nothing quite as magical or enchanting as being right on Temple Square as the Holiday season comes to life with thousands of sparkling lights the day after Thanksgiving. The excitement in the air is almost palpable as people from all over the world come to witness this unforgettable night, so be sure to take plenty of pictures! Fortunately, the lights stay on until New Years Day, so even if you can’t make it that night, you have the entire month of December to bask in the twinkling beauty of the lights on Temple Square.

EVE WinterFest

EVE WinterFest is a holiday tradition in Utah that has become a hit over the last eight years. This 5-day holiday festival offers fun and entertainment for all ages with things like live musical performances, bounce houses, and even an “All-Access Pass” to enjoy a variety of happenings in various venue locations throughout downtown Salt Lake City, including events on Temple Square, City Creek, The Gateway and more.

Read more at the Temple Square Blog

December 14, 2016
Jamesthemormon Raps Up the Holidays With An Amazing Service Project

James Curran, also known as Jamesthemormon on social media, decided to ‘rap’ his christmas gift this year with a brand new song and video. His latest project, entitled “Angels We Have Heard On High,” is less about Christ-centered rap and more about Christ-centered Christmas, and it’s one you need to see.

The music video was filmed in downtown Salt Lake City, where Curran and his collaborators passed out free food and clothing to the homeless. The song is an arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard On High,” featuring Junior Maile, Yahosh Bonner, Jay Warren, and Curran leading with an original rap. While the vocals are impressive and the rap inspiring, the arrangement was quickly thrown together to simply act as a backdrop for the video (beautifully produced by Cameron Gade from Catchlight Productions), made to inspire Christlike charity this holiday season.

Curran teamed up with local businesses Bam Bams BBQ, Catchlight Productions, Traeger Grills and Stay Clothing, who donated clothing and food to create an unforgettable afternoon for over 300 people. He told Mormon Buzzz, “My purpose is to bring charity to Christmas, because that is the pure love of Christ.” Curran had the opportunity of doing a similar service project last year (you can watch that video here), where he bought dozens of pizzas and passed out clothing. This year, however, he knew he could go a little bit bigger. “I would love to go bigger and bigger in the coming years,” he said. Some ideas Curran has are to invite every food truck in Provo to donate food and to involve even more businesses to make that much more of an impact.

Jamesthemormon’s willingness to share his talents as well as his example of Christlike charity are a call for all of us to do more for others this holiday season. Let’s think a little more outside of ourselves this Christmas and share the pure love of Christ through simple or big acts of charity. We never know what lives we’ll touch for good.

December 24, 2015
6 Simple DIY Gifts for Mormons

1. Frame Your Own Printable Home Decor

This is a simple custom gifts idea that will cost you little more than a frame, a sheet of glossy stock paper, and a little creativity. If you’ve been gifted with graphic design skills, make a classy and unique piece of home decor out of your favorite quote from a general authority. If you’re like the rest of us, just download and print one of the many free designs available online with help from services like Vinylcuttingmachineguide.

We particularly liked these Articles of Faith posters available at It’s Always Autumn.

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Source: It’s Always Autumn

2. Sew a Homemade Scripture Tote

The perfect personal touch to gift along with a new set of scriptures is a homemade scripture tote. Here’s two different styles with instructions. Each one takes a minimal amount of sewing know-how, but they’re certainly not unattainable for the DIY beginner.

Difficulty: ★★★★☆

Source: Lemon Squeezy Home

Source: Crafty Cupboard

3. Make a Framed Temple Print

Here’s another simple project. Amy Robinson over at Craftsy.com has put together an simple guide for do-it-yourself gold foil. This project could easily be adapted to make a modern LDS temple print. If you endeavor to do it yourself you can download a vector file of the Salt Lake Temple here. Other temples are available online with a little bit of digging. Instructions for a possibly easier alternative using metallic spray paint instead of foil are available over at todayscreativelife.com.

Source: Craftsy.com

We also found you can buy these pre-made for fairly cheap over at Collectivity Lane if you’re not in a DIY mood.

Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

Source: Etsy.com

4. Sew a Homemade Necktie

At least half the Mormon population needs a new necktie on occasion, so why not gift them a homemade one and save yourself a bit of cash to boot. We found these detailed instructions over at purlsoho.com if you want to start completely from scratch. An easier alternative is to buy an old thrift store tie that has the width and length you want, and then unfold it to use as a template to cut your fabric. You can even reuse the inner padding if you’re happy with the thickness.

If you’re feeling particularly trendy, here’s some additional instructions to colorblock your new homemade tie.

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Source: ispydiy.com

5. Make a Personalized Scripture Study or Missionary Journal

This is the perfect personalized gift for your favorite missionary or YSA. We found instructions for these simple and beautiful journals available over at lilblueboo.com. Perhaps you could put a favorite scripture on the front, or your missionary’s mission motto.

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Source: Ashley Hackshaw

6. Make your Elder a Shirt and Tie Stocking

We couldn’t find any instructions for these, but let’s be real, if you can’t figure this one out then DIY just might not be your thing.

Difficulty: ☆☆☆☆☆

Source: Unknown

December 8, 2015