Reading scriptural accounts of the Savior's birth, admiring the festively decorated tree in their living room and singing carols with family members are among Christmas traditions in the home of President and Sister Ezra Taft Benson.

A family member said President and Sister Benson have always enjoyed the Christmas season, from preparing for the special day to watching children anticipate their gifts, and this year seems to be no exception.During recent weeks, President and Sister Benson have delighted in looking at the tree that family members designed and decorated for them, listening to Christmas music and reminiscing about past Christmases. This will be the Bensons' 63rd Christmas together. They were married Sept. 10, 1926.

Specialty foods are among some of the first things members of the Benson family remember about past Christmases, particularly Sister Benson's delicious homemade fudge and divinity candies. She also began a tradition of making gum drop-flavored fruitcakes each Christmas. The cakes were supposed to mellow with age and taste better, but family members seldom had an opportunity to try out that theory since they usually ate the cakes before full flavor was achieved.

One tradition that has continued is President Benson's Christmas Eve reading of stories about the birth of the Christ Child.

President and Sister Benson, when their two sons and four daughters were young, always placed a chair for each child in the middle of the living room on Christmas Eve. From each chair hung a long brown stocking, and it was on each chair that Santa placed a gift for each child. "Our stockings always had fruits, nuts and tiny gifts, and there was always a silver dollar in the toe," recalled a daughter.

"Our parents always felt we should have something decent to eat before we saw what Santa brought, so they marched us into the kitchen and gave us milk and rolls, or milk and graham crackers. Then we were allowed into the living room to see what Santa had brought, with the youngest child entering first."

Enjoyment of Christmas in the Benson household began to spread to others as the children grew older. For many years, the Bensons opened their home for a ward fireside each Christmas, and later their home became one stop in progressive dinners sponsored by their ward.

According to family members, President and Sister Benson have maintained their enthusiasm for Christmas. "They truly enjoy this season of the year. They have always filled their home with warmth and love, but there is something a little extra felt during the Christmas season."

Through the years, President and Sister Benson have endeavored to help family members keep a proper perspective on Christmas. "The emphasis has always been on Christ," said one of the family. "We enjoyed treats and gifts, but we never forgot the Savior."

"Without Christ," President Benson often has said, "there would be no Christmas, and without Christ there can be no fullness of joy."