25 December 2025 – Salvos Magazine

volume 6 number 49 Christmas 2025

salvosonline.org.au print post approved PP100001474

CHRISTMAS 2025

Christmas The never-changing story

6 Where it all began

12 Christmas seasons

20 Festive delights

Cribs, clay and Christmas wonder

Celebrations across the centuries

Recipes for your Christmas table

“Maybe this isn’t your season for celebration, but the good news is that Advent and even Christmas isn’t just for the ones who feel happiness; it’s also for the ones who are afraid and wondering, who are refugees and who are broken-hearted.”

– Sarah Bessey

STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

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Editorial What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Vision Statement Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.

Mission Statement The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by: • Caring for people • Creating faith pathways • Building healthy communities • Working for justice The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.

Ongoing love Beyond the trees, baubles and sparkle, and above the personal and global struggles so many of us are facing, there is so much about the never-changing Christmas story that can meet our deepest longings and needs.

Across the centuries, the birth of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection give all humanity hope, purpose and light in the darkness. Nobody is excluded.

In this special Christmas edition, we explore this never-changing story and the unconditional love, living hope, and always-open invitation it extends to each of us.

On behalf of the Salvos Magazine team, I wish you all an encouraging, meaningful and hope-filled Christmas.

Simone Worthing Editor Christmas contacts If you need help at any time, please contact:

Scan here to connect with The Salvation Army services

Scan here to subscribe to Salvos Magazine

Founders: William and Catherine Booth Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Colonel Rodney Walters Publications Manager: Cheryl Tinker Editor: Simone Worthing Graphic Designer: Ryan Harrison Enquiry email: publications@salvationarmy.org.au All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58 Press date: 25 September 2025 Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.

For assistance, Christmas events or volunteering: salvationarmy.org.au/ Christmas For emergency assistance if a life is in danger: 000 Lifeline: 131 114 National Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Helpline: 1800 737 732 (1800 Respect) Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Crisis support for First Nations’ people: 13YARN (13 92 76) 3

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Salvos Magazine

Bethlehem, a manger and a miracle The timeless story of Christmas

by Julia Hosking

Every year, people around the world celebrate Christmas. The season is filled with carols, tree decorating, gift giving and parties. Amid these traditions, many wonder: What is the real meaning of Christmas? What do our Christmas traditions have to do with Jesus?

In a world full of struggles, uncertainty and hardship, the message of Christmas stands timeless and hopeful. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ – God’s Son – who came to bring love, hope and joy.

That message doesn’t change from year to year. When there is so much bad news and devastation in the world, this is good news worth celebrating!

The biblical account Around Christmas time, angels feature prominently. That’s because angels were God’s messengers to share the good news of Jesus’ birth to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds.

The angel Gabriel first appeared to a young woman called Mary. He told her that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary had every reason to be afraid. She was unmarried but engaged to Joseph.

To be pregnant out of wedlock in those times was scandalous. But the angel assured Mary of God’s love and good plans for her.

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God also assures us that he is always working to bring good out of all that happens in our lives. Despite our stresses, worries and struggles, God says he will never leave us or waver in his love for us.

The birth of Jesus When the time came for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she had travelled to Bethlehem for a census. The census meant the town was very busy and there were no guest rooms available. So, Mary gave birth in what was probably a stable or barn, and lay Jesus down in a manger (an animal feeding trough).

As he grew, Jesus experienced persecution, loneliness, grief, hunger, anger and more. He came into the world to live among people and understand their struggles. His name, ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us’ (Matthew chapter 1, verse 23).

The birth and life of Jesus are good news for us because they mean we are never alone. It doesn’t matter how hard or hopeless our situation may appear to be, God is there for us, walking alongside us through every challenge.

Scan here for information on Christmas assistance, church services, volunteering and more.

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Feature STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

In a world full of struggles, uncertainty and hardship, the message of Christmas stands timeless and hopeful.

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Salvos Magazine

Cribs, clay and Christmas wonder

The surprising origins of the nativity scene

by Fay Foster

From a cave in 13th-century Italy to living rooms around the world, nativity scenes have become a beloved Christmas tradition, including in Australia.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JULES BACHE COLLECTION, 1949

Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with staging the first nativity scene over 800 years ago, in 1223. St Bonaventure, a Franciscan monk born five years before St Francis died, tells us that St Francis got permission from the pope of the day to set up a manger with hay and two live animals – an ox and a donkey – in a cave in the Italian village of Grecio.

He then invited the villagers to come and gaze upon the scene while he

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preached about “the babe of Bethlehem” (smithsonianmag.com).

Early spread After that first nativity scene, the practice became popular and spread far and wide. Within a century, nearly every church in Italy had a Christmas crèche. (The word ‘crèche’ comes from Old French ‘cresche’ or ‘crèche’, which means crib, manger or stall.)

Over time, statues took the place of living people and animals, which eventually led to the kind of nativity scenes that are so much a part of Christmas today.

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Feature Many nativity scenes also depict the Magi (the wise men) as being present at the manger immediately after Jesus is born, although the Bible book of Matthew suggests that the Magi followed the star to Jesus’ home a year or more after his birth. While the crèche might not be historically accurate, the wise men bringing their gifts to Jesus has become an integral part of the Christmas story.

STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Creative touch In the French province of Provence, artisans began to create santons (little saints) – tiny, hand-made figurines of gilded wood, to represent the holy family.

But these in-home nativity scenes were usually too expensive for ordinary families and during the French Revolution of 1789-99, they were banned outright.

Happily, in 1797, Jean-Louis Lagnel began to make nativity figurines out of clay, making them affordable for nearly everyone, and in the 20th century, Thérèse Neveu began firing the clay figures to make them stronger. The Musée du Santon (Museum of Santons) in Provence displays the world’s tiniest crèche, which houses 39 santons in a nutshell.

STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

At the opposite end of the scale is the world’s largest crèche, created over a period of 60 years by Tomáš Krýza (18381918), a stocking weaver who lived in what is now the Czech Republic. Krýza’s crèche features 1389 figures of humans and animals.

Today, setting up our nativity scenes is a familiar and fun part of getting ready for Christmas. With the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and whichever other elements we choose to complete our nativity scenes, we remind ourselves and others of the true meaning of Christmas.

PHOTO BY MICK HAUPT ON UNSPLASH

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Salvos Magazine

The hope, power and mystery of Christmas

by Faye Michelson

What is the power of that so-familiar picture we see at Christmas? It’s the well-known scene of a man and a woman bending over a newborn, sometimes flanked by animals and shepherds, sometimes by kings bearing gifts, all illuminated by a large bright star.

What is the mystery wrapped up in the nativity scenes decorating houses and communities at Christmas? Crafted from wood, glass, or plastic and printed on cards, a hundred generations have seen figures representing Mary and Joseph gazing at the tiny baby.

What is the might of the infant, set centre-stage in all these scenes? Like all babies, there is the promise of a life

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to be lived. But, unlike the Marys and Josephs frozen in their nativity-scene time capsules, we already know how the promise of this baby unfolds. We know how he grows up, dies, and the promise he fulfils comes from God. Historical resistance This story hasn’t changed in 2000 years. It didn’t change in Cromwell’s England in the 1600s, even though the Protestants officially banned it. The Puritan movement opposed festivities because it vehemently resisted anything associated with Catholicism – even celebrating the birth of the Saviour they worshipped. They were also against it because no birthday parties for Jesus

Feature are mentioned in the Bible. And it seems they were against it because they were against anything fun; the first Christmas ban coincided with a legislated monthly day of prayer, repentance and fasting in 1644.

Bans escalated further, but the baby sent

by God and the hope he represented could not be suppressed. People continued to celebrate, and in 1660, the Christmas ban was lifted.

Celebrating hope What is it about the birth of a baby 2000 years ago that sparks joy? It might seem counterintuitive to celebrate anything in a world where so many suffer so unfairly. Yet last year, residents of Ukrainian villages near the Belarus border embraced Christmas, making the most of a joyful time. These villages, occupied within hours of the full Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, suffered extensive damage, with power supplies

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destroyed for years in a country with freezing winters. The Salvation Army regularly visits these villages to provide support. Ivan Berezkin, of The Salvation Army in Eastern Europe, said the Christmas celebrations they organised were met with “great passion and enthusiasm”.

What is it about the baby in the nativity scene that opens us up to celebration every year? The world is ever-changing, and on a minuscule scale, so is each of our lives. Some years are great, some are run-of-the-mill, and some are filled with hardship and tragedy.

Yet, while everything around us constantly changes, the baby sent by God and the hope he represents is the same – yesterday, today and tomorrow.

That is the power, the mystery and the might of the infant in the nativity scene.

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Salvos Magazine

A manger, a mistake and a message

by Major Dean Clarke

I love Christmas movies, especially the love stories. Boy meets girl. They are falling for each other when something goes wrong. A misunderstanding. The ex turns up. Somehow adversity is overcome, things work out and the couple kiss at the end. While the actors change and the adversity alters, the story is pretty much the same.

The Christmas Story is one that doesn’t change. Our boy Joseph, and his girl Mary, are in love and expecting a child.

The adversity is having to travel. Travel in late pregnancy was certainly challenging, though the story doesn’t dwell on complaints. Adversity overcome, the story ends with a newborn baby.

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It is a well-loved story often depicted by kids dressing up. A little girl nursing a doll, others in dressing gowns with tea towels wrapped around their heads as shepherds. One Christmas movie has kids in the nativity play dressed as lobsters or Spiderman.

Nicholas Chand was in a primary school Christmas concert – not the nativity scene, but a song called ‘Christmas Love’. For weeks, they practised their words and actions. In the concert, the children in the front row held large letters, which they were to raise at the right time.

“C is for Christmas” – and the first little girl held up the letter C.

Feature “H is for happy” – the next child held up their letter.

Everything went well until the little girl with the letter M held it up upside down, so it looked like a W. People in the audience laughed, but she had no idea. Thinking everyone was enjoying the song, she stood tall and held her W proudly.

The song continued, and at the end the audience looked at what was spelt: ‘Christ Was Love’.

True story The Christmas nativity, the story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, is not a Hollywood imagination. It was an event with real people in real time – a love story of a couple faithful to each other and their God. It is also the account of how God entered our world.

While God has power, he did not demand we bow to him. No bullying or fanfare.

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Instead, the God of the universe humbly chose to become like us, as a baby. Jesus lived in our world, modelling a life of love.

He loved others, including those who didn’t love him. He helped those who sought it. And in his prime, Jesus died to change the world.

Sometime in November I will start watching my Christmas movies. I will enjoy them, even knowing the plot or having seen them before. And I will also enjoy the nativity plays … especially those that include a Spiderman.

Amongst the Christmas cheer and celebrations, I will pause and think about the nativity – a story told countless times, in many ways. The story of Christmas love. Or ‘Christ Was Love’. For as God so loved the world that he gave us his Son, Jesus so loved the world that he gave us his life.

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Salvos Magazine

From angels to Instagram: good news for each generation

by Major Nicole Viles

Christmas is coming! We hear it shouted in Instagram memes and through mince pies on supermarket shelves for months in advance. Its echo has an urgency about it. An anticipation. Maybe for some, even a sense of dread.

In our society’s annual rhythm, Christmas has become the symbol of the finish line of another year – businesses wind down, schools close, construction sites empty and parties abound.

The message is, “we’ve made it through another year”, so to reward ourselves, we take a well-earned pause to connect with those that matter most and celebrate the wins, grieve the losses or perhaps a bit of both.

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We even sing: So this is Christmas And what have you done?

Another year over And a new one just begun ...

However, before Lennon’s declaration of Christmas, the Christians had another message that angels first declared 2025 years ago, and that remains unchanged to this day. It’s recorded to say: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today ... a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke chapter 2, verses 10-12).

Jesus Christ the Lord has been born and it’s good news of great joy for ALL the people? Meaning you and me? Why?

Feature Good news?

Well, to wrap our heads around this, I think it’s helpful to read what another writer of that era said. He described it like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made …

In him was life and that life was the light of humankind … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John chapter 1, verses 1-4, 14).

Do you hear it? It’s good news because, compelled by love, God came to us so that we can know him and know that he understands because he’s lived it too. He knows joy and pain, grief, disappointment, betrayal, laughter and the delight of some good food and a party with friends.

He knows all of it because God came to us (and by his Spirit he still does).

He came to save all people from living an existence that drains the life out of them and leads to the death of soul and body.

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That’s why he was called the Saviour.

And he came to give all people a neverending life, filled to overflowing with joy and peace that comes as a result of living in a trusting relationship with God. That’s why one of his names is the Prince of Peace.

And all of this is such good news because we need to know that we’re not just some random act of the cosmos in some giant roulette game of life, but unique creations, created with intention by an all-powerful God who loves us, understands us and comes to us.

We need the light source of humankind to bring light to our dark places and to give us joy and peace beyond what we, or our circumstances, can muster.

We need the fountain of life to fight the forces of death that are constantly seeking to drain us, and we need the hope of this never-ending heavenly life every time this world can seem so bleak.

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Salvos Magazine

The still-standing invitation

by Captain Anthony Hunt

Hollywood loves a remake. Every few years, another classic is dusted off and brought back to the big screen – A Star Is Born, The Lion King, Pride and Prejudice. The sets are different, the costumes updated, the music rearranged, but the heart of the story is the same. We’re drawn to certain stories because they capture something deep about the human experience.

In many ways, Christmas is the ultimate remake. Every December, we retell the same story: a young couple, an unexpected baby, angels announcing good news, shepherds leaving their flocks to see for themselves, wise travellers guided by a mysterious star. We wrap it in the colours, sounds, and flavours of our own time – from snow globes and Bing Crosby for some, to barbecues, beach cricket, and prawns for an Aussie summer.

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Yet, the story itself has never changed.

Through the centuries, the way people have celebrated has shifted dramatically. In the early church, it was a simple gathering of believers to worship, share food and read the Scriptures. In colonial Australia, Christmas fell in the heat of summer, often celebrated outdoors under gum trees instead of snow-dusted pines. Today, it might mean online shopping, LED light shows and video calls to relatives across the globe. But whether in candlelight or an LED glow, with roast turkey or a seafood platter, the message has stayed the same.

Heart of Christmas God stepped into human history in the person of Jesus. Not as a ruler with an army, not as a celebrity seeking a spotlight, but as a child, born in the

Feature humblest of settings. His coming was – and still is – an invitation to the world: come and see, come and receive, come and be changed.

That message is surprisingly relevant because, while culture changes, the deepest needs of the human heart don’t.

We still long for hope in the face of uncertainty. We still hunger for belonging in a fragmented world. We still need forgiveness when relationships break. We still search for meaning that lasts beyond the next news cycle.

The Christmas story answers those longings. It tells us we are not forgotten.

God sees and knows us – not from a distance, but from within the mess and beauty of life. It promises that love remains constant, peace cannot be taken away, and joy can outlast even the hardest seasons.

Maybe this year the story feels different for you. Perhaps joy comes easily, or perhaps you’re carrying loss, loneliness or

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uncertainty. The invitation of Christmas is the same for everyone: come.

Come, like the shepherds who ran to see the baby and found more than they expected. Come, like the wise men, foreigners who travelled far, bringing gifts of honour and worship. Come, like Mary and Joseph, trusting God’s word even when the path ahead was unclear, uneasy and unexpected.

Christmas is more than a tradition or a memory. It is an invitation to step into a story still being told in every generation, in every corner of the world. The set changes. The costumes change. The soundtrack changes. But the central character and invitation remain the same.

Whether hearing the Christmas story for the first time or the fiftieth, remember this: the God who entered the world that first Christmas still comes close today.

His invitation still stands: Come and see, receive, and be changed.

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Salvos Magazine

‘Tis the season

Light and life when times are dark

by Anthony Castle

The season always weighs on my mind at Christmas, as I wander through the department stores at the end of the year.

There are the trappings of the holiday; the pine trees, the lights, the fake snow, and it all strikes me as more than a little strange.

Christmas has its origins in a European mid-winter festival, marking the winter solstice. At the darkest time of the year, people once brought candlelit trees into their homes to remind themselves of light and life. So many Christmas traditions began like this, when the days started to get longer, when warmer times might come.

We need no reminder of warmer times here in December. All too often we wrap

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADELE MASTERS-SEARLE

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Christmas gifts while wearing shorts and tees. The days are long, the sun setting late. My own childhood memories of Christmas often carry the scent of pine needles mixed with heat waves. It’s a time of sweat and shopping. I hear songs about snowmen and bushfire updates in the same broadcast, and it all seems a bit confused. What are we celebrating?

This is mostly a quirk of history and geography. Christmas comes to the Australian climate and Southern Hemisphere with colonisation and the Western tradition, after all. Christmas isn’t a cultural event born of this land, or its original cultures. Nor does Christmas mean the same thing to different people now.

Feature Different perspectives For Christians, the season is a time that celebrates the birth of Christ. For others, it’s a time of family and feasting. For some, it may only be a time to pick up an extra shift. People can bicker, in the media or at work parties, about what Christmas really means. Some people hate Christmas altogether. Whether it’s the weather or the origin of the holiday itself, it sometimes feels confused.

People aren’t always celebrating the same thing at all.

Far from the department stores and the shopping, there are some different concerns. Each holiday period there are Australians who go without food, medication, even housing. Families can do it tough, even fall apart, at this time of year. We may not be celebrating the same season but for some Australians, it’s a season of crisis. For some, Christmas is a time of darkness.

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Each Christmas season, the Salvos step in with food, presents, support with bills and safe housing. The Salvos offer food and gift hampers, toys for children, refuge for women and children, shelters for those facing homelessness, and emergency and disaster relief. Every year, the Salvos bring some light and life into people’s homes, at the point of crisis, when times seem darkest.

Help and hope The season always weighs on my mind at Christmas. The trappings of the holiday might seem odd in our different climate.

Our differing cultures may not even be celebrating the same things. Regardless, there’s something that strikes me as more important; to make a celebration for those who have none, for those in crisis.

Perhaps everyone can agree that’s what Christmas really means, bringing a little light and life when things get dark.

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My Story

Salvos Magazine

Vanessa’s Christmas A gift of mutual hope and healing

“I love seeing the excitement and gratitude in people’s eyes – especially those who have faced homelessness or domestic violence – when they come in at Christmas time,” says Vanessa, a Salvation Army volunteer in Beechworth, north-eastern Victoria. “They can’t believe the care we give. Many of us have been in their shoes.

I’ve been there!”

Each year, Vanessa coordinates Christmas support for more than 40 families. She orders food, packs hampers, sorts toys, leads volunteers and ensures no donation goes unused, even sending leftover toys to neighbouring centres. Beyond Christmas, she helps at least 80 people annually with crisis support and provides assistance to the families of local prisoners.

Through giving, Vanessa says she has received much more in return: “People think I’m helping them, but truthfully, it’s helped me so much.”

Fearful childhood Vanessa’s early life was scarred by fear and violence. Christmas and birthdays were times she dreaded. Her mother, deeply traumatised by domestic abuse, often turned her pain into anger directed at Vanessa. She also endured abuse from the wider family.

As an adult, still carrying the weight of her past, Christmas continued to bring conflict, estrangement and disappointment. Working as a nurse, she would take every Christmas shift she could to avoid the emotional triggers the season brought.

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Finding purpose Retirement brought isolation, ill health and lingering trauma. Though counselling helped, she still needed connection and purpose. Vanessa found both in volunteering with the Beechworth Salvos.

“Being here and doing three days a week has probably saved my life,” she says.

Her role now extends year-round: she runs welfare support twice a week with a Salvation Army caseworker, sources food and clothing, helps families of prisoners and assists people leaving custody with nothing. She also responds to urgent cases of domestic violence and housing insecurity.

The Beechworth centre benefits from community generosity, including annual motorbike blanket and toy runs delivering carloads – sometimes truckloads – of donations. With little public transport available, Vanessa and the team often deliver food and essentials to surrounding towns.

Christmas week Planning for Christmas begins mid-year.

Vanessa organises toys by age group, bags food staples with festive extras, and arranges fresh produce from partner charities. Families are welcomed into a space where they can sit, chat and choose presents for their loved ones.

The busiest days come just before Christmas, when families arrive for support. “It’s consistently, absolutely the longest, most exhausting week of my life,” Vanessa laughs. “But so rewarding.”

My Story

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 Vanessa (right), and Major Pauline Middleton, work with other volunteers to help make Christmas special for struggling families.

The toy room – set up like a store – is always a highlight. “The look on families’ faces when they pick gifts is priceless.

They say, ‘Oh my gosh, I could never afford this.’ There’s genuine gratitude.”

Faith and friendship Volunteering has also deepened Vanessa’s faith. She attends church, studies the Bible, prays regularly, and was baptised earlier this year.

“I love that Jesus is so forgiving – you can put the sins of the past at his feet,” she says. “It wasn’t my fault, but I always blamed myself. Now I can let go.”

Her friendships with local Salvo leader Pauline and fellow Salvo Linda have been vital. “Pauline has helped me realise I’m not to blame for the terrible things that happened. Linda bought me the most beautiful Bible and supports me in my faith.”

Each Christmas, Vanessa and Pauline run a community lunch, caring for others and for each other. Both carry painful pasts, but together they’ve found strength.

For Vanessa, giving is about more than service. It’s healing. “People will say, ‘Thank you, you’ve saved me’ – but the truth is, this work has saved me. I just love it.”

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Recipes

Salvos Magazine

An international Christmas Recipes from around the world

Germany German potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) Ingredients 1.5kg potatoes, peeled; salt to taste; 40g butter; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, chopped; 175g bacon, chopped; 1/3 cup parsley, chopped Method Cook potatoes in a large saucepan with salted water until just cooked.

Drain, cool, cut into 2cm pieces.

STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Australia Pavlova or lamington wreaths Ingredients 1 packet lamington fingers OR 8 individual pavlova shells; 300ml cream, whipped; jam if desired; 250g strawberries; 125g raspberries; 125g blueberries; extra fruit of your choice, chopped

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion and bacon, stirring until bacon is crisp.

Add potatoes, cook stirring until they’re crisp.

Stir through parsley and serve.

Method Arrange lamington fingers or pavlova shells in a circle on a large serving plate.

Pipe or spoon cream into the spaces between the lamingtons/pavlovas, touching on both sides.

Drizzle a little strawberry or raspberry jam over the lamingtons or pavlovas and spread a thin layer of cream on top.

Top your wreath with chopped berries, grapes, kiwifruit, pitted cherries and fruits to taste.

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STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

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Recipes

Puerto Rico Puerto Rican pork Ingredients 10 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tbsp sea salt; 2 tsp oregano leaves; 20 ml olive oil; 2 tsp black pepper; juice of 1 orange; juice 1 lime; pork chops (to serve 4) Method Finely grate or crush garlic in a bowl.

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South Africa South African pudding (Malva) Ingredients Pudding: 1 tsp butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 4 tbsp apricot jam, 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 cup plain flour

Add salt, oregano leaves, oil, pepper and juices. Mix well.

Place pork chops into mixture to marinate for at least 2 hours or leave overnight.

Cook pork chops in fry pan or on BBQ.

Sauce: 2 tbsp butter, 125 ml cream, 4 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp water Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Pudding: In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, jam and egg. Beat together until it lightens. Separately, mix milk, vinegar and vanilla essence. Add baking soda and salt to flour and mix.

Mix everything together. Pour into greased cake tin.

Bake for 45 minutes. Leave pudding in tin.

Sauce: Mix butter, cream, brown sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer while stirring for 3 minutes.

Use a fork to put some holes into the pudding to ensure even covering of sauce. Pour sauce over cake.

Serve hot with ice cream or custard.

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Taste of Life

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Quiz

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Sweet and salty Christmas treat

Salvos Magazine

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN MASTERS

Ingredients 6 Salada crispbreads, 1 cup brown sugar, 125g butter, 2 x 180g blocks dark chocolate, 100g white chocolate, 50g green and red sprinkles Method Preheat oven to 180 °C. Place crispbread evenly over the base of a lined pan.

Combine sugar and butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture is smooth.

Bring to the boil, stirring for 30 seconds until thickened.

Pour mixture evenly over the crispbread. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Pour melted dark chocolate over the crispbread evenly.

Place aside to set.

Decorate with melted white chocolate and sprinkles.

Break into pieces to serve.

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Believe in Good: Tips

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.”

James chapter 1, verse 17 New Living Translation This Christmas, let us remember the gift of Jesus, a good and perfect gift from God, to show us the way to life and faith.

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1. Elvis isn’t going to have a white Christmas; he’s going to have a … ?

2. What words follow Silent Night in the song?

3. Which song contains the words, “Everyone dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way”?

4. In the song Winter Wonderland, what do we call the snowman?

5. What did my true love give to me on the eighth day of Christmas?

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Did you know?

The use of ‘Xmas’ as a shortening of Christmas is not a modern invention.

‘X’ in Greek represents the first letter of ‘Christ’, making ‘Xmas’ a traditional way to refer to the holiday.

It takes approximately 15 years to grow an averagesized Christmas tree.

Take Five

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Have a laugh

What did Frosty’s girlfriend give him when she was mad at him?

The cold shoulder

Why did the Little Drummer Boy put his drum to bed?

It was beat.

Why are mummies such big fans of Christmas?

Because they enjoy wrapping.

Why did Rudolph have to attend summer school?

Because he went down in history.

What is it called when a snowman has a temper tantrum?

A meltdown.

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Tum-Tum

On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?

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Answers

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Christmas 2025

Word search

X P T Y M A N G E R N K S E B M O J X K J L U I I J S I WT I E L O N M O X B R A U J N O E B S S Y N J S X H F Y U U G Q R L S P E A C E S T V WT Y S H N E I C Q S X P S T I O F D V U I J A H V C T H B U A H T N X M T S H O M I Q A A I S B O R T B Y Z F I B A H P R R R H L P U L Y T V R D I R R R C X T Z E E E WH J V V R P Y S H E P H E R D R D D Z S A L V A T I O N N L H O T K L Y C H R I S T M A S L O V E W R E J O I C I N G P C J H R L N B E T H L E H E M G I F T S E F P S A V I O U R U P M X P G J G Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards and backwards. Enjoy!

Bethlehem Bible Birth Choir Christmas Eternity Gifts Hope

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Humble Jesus Joseph Joy Kings Love Manger Mary

Messiah Peace Rejoicing Salvation Saviour Shepherd Stable Star

Bible byte

“Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good news, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere.”

Luke chapter 2, verse 10 The Voice translation 23

Quiz: 1. Blue Christmas 2. Holy night 3. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree 4. Parson Brown 5. Eight maids a-milking Tum-Tum: is hiding behind Vanessa and Pauline on page 19.

This year, many of us have been confronted with personal, national and global challenges, upheaval and tragedy.

There have also been many moments of triumph, gratitude and compassion.

As the Christmas season approaches, may its unchanging message fill your home with celebration, your heart with peace and encouragement and your life with love, assurance and hope.

From the Salvos Magazine team