For decades now, Christmas has been more than just a season of celebration at BYU Continuing Education (CE), with examples to pull from throughout its history. From printed materials to gifts of conferences and workshops, Christmas has influenced BYU CE in its mission to "Inspire lifelong learning to benefit the world."
A Gift of Learning (1959)
The earliest recorded instance of Christmas shaping Continuing Education efforts dates back to 1959. That year, a unique catalog entitled Christmas Gifts That Inspire was published, which featured a curated collection of faculty addresses, devotional messages, and Education Week lectures. Carefully compiled as gifts that would uplift and enlighten, the catalogs were mailed to Church leaders and other patrons who could share these materials with loved ones during the Christmas season. Long before digital media, BYU CE was already leveraging the holidays as a time to spread learning.
A Christmas in the Holy Land (1996)
Nearly forty years later, BYU Continuing Education carried the spirit of the season across the globe. In 1996, BYU CE organized two special Holy Land tours designed specifically around Christmas: Family Christmas in the Holy Land, led by Wayne Brickey and James Mathews, and Christmas for Single Adults in the Holy Land, led by Rex Reeve Jr. These experiences offered participants the rare opportunity to celebrate Christmas at the very sites connected to the Savior’s life. The programs reflected CE’s mission to create meaningful educational experiences.
A Season for Reaching Out (2014)
As technology and communication evolved, so did BYU CE’s approach to Christmas messaging. In 2014, the BYU Salt Lake Center launched a multifaceted Christmas marketing effort that included custom-designed Christmas cards, 15-second BYU TV web rollouts, mass email campaigns, chapel posters, and digital signage. The initiative blended tradition with modern outreach, using the warmth and familiarity of the season to strengthen awareness, build community, and invite more learners to connect with BYU CE.
A New Kind of Christmas Gift (2021)
In recent years, Christmas has continued to shape how BYU CE meets the needs of families. In 2021, Especially for Youth (EFY) shifted its registration timeline so that enrollment opened in December, allowing families to give a week at EFY as a meaningful Christmas gift. The response was immediate and enthusiastic: more than 50% of all available EFY spots filled on the first day alone. For many young people, the gift of EFY became a gift of testimony, friendship, and spiritual growth.
A Reminder of the Reason for the Season
Across all these years, the joy of the Christmas season has never faded, especially as we celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. His light continues to inspire everything BYU Continuing Education offers, year after year and decade after decade.