If you know me, you know I love, love, LOVE the Christmas season. Like, boil-it-down-and-inject-it-in-my-veins love it. I love everything about it.
Of course, I love celebrating the birth of the Savior. I love teaching my children about the miracles that happened on that sweet night and what it means for us. My four-year-old can tell the Christmas story with the best of 'em.
But guess what? I also love the 'other' stuff. I love giving gifts. I love the increased sense of generosity. I love the sense of brotherhood.
But guess what else? I love seeing Christmas stuff in stores in October. I love Santa. I love Elf on the Shelf. I love how it takes me nearly 3 hours to get a gallon of milk. I love taking far too long to choose my yearly wrapping paper. I love obsessing over food/treats/gifts/everything. I love buying way too much stuff for my kids. I love making my house look beautiful and festive and most likely a tad bit tacky.
And, dang it, that is okay.
Something has been making me mad lately. Like, lay-awake-at-night-and-stew-about-it angry. And drive-my-husband-crazy-because-I-talk-of-little-else angry.
It's this little comment {or something like it}: "We don't do the 'other' Christmas stuff so we can focus on the Savior." Of course, this isn't bad. Not at all. But it is *almost* always paired with some sort of attitude.
It's great that you pare down the holiday season to make it simple and focused. But it's also great that I don't.
We're totally the Santa family. And I will go to great lengths to keep my kids believing for as long as I can. Time passes so quickly, and before I know it, I'll have a house full of smelly teenagers {Santa will still visit, though!}. I want to look back and remember how they bounced out of bed every morning in December to find our elf, Nutcracker. I want to remember how they shyly approached Santa, and looked at him with awe.
I want to cherish their innocence as long as possible. Soon, they will learn what the world is really all about. This time of year is magical, and I feel that it's my job to perpetuate that magic. Childhood is such a fleeting moment, and I want to relish in each and every innocent moment.
It's also my job to teach them about the birth of Christ, but I'm one of those who believes I can do both. You're not? Fine. Just lose the 'tude.
10 comments:
Thanks for that Abbey :) Not a fan of Christmas in October, but I agree with all of the rest!!!! :D I hate the attitude that comes with the snarky 'we don't do the other stuff' ideology. I think it may be (extended) family issues I have with it...mainly them trying to impose their ideas onto everyone. Making them feel guilty for doing Santa and even having a Christmas tree!! I grew up in a house where I believed in Santa AND I knew the story of the birth of Christ. Its possible!! :)
it IS ok. I firmly believe everybody should do what they want to. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of the guy. Christmas yes, magic and music and twinkling lights and surprises and traditions most definitely. I personally (and maybe it's cause my kids are older?) am trying to steer them in the direction of finding the christmas spirit thru service and acts of love and selfless ness as opposed to those shirts at walmart that say "give me all the presents!" or "I better get everything I want, Santa!" (i know, I shouldn't use walmart as the standard, but I did see those shirts there. ugh!) I just think we get a little carried away in the consumerism part. in the christmas book we read tonight, santa ( still fun to read santa stories) brought each child one little gift. thats all. so santa brings just a gift and fills stockings here at our house. and maybe I'm selfish, but I want most the credit for all the other presents! plus my kids are just too darn smart and I wasnt good enough hiding things. so there you have it. I don't judge other parents at all for their holiday choices, and I hope I wasnt the one with the 'tude. I just feel that my kids will always get plenty of secular christmas in this world so our home will mainly focus on the nativity. that pic is priceless btw. is that sinter claus? maddie said it is, and she pretty much knows everything.
um, i got so excited about having 5 comments. way to bomb my post, emily.
that's how we do santa, too. he brings socks, candy, stickers, snacks, sugary cereal {the only time all year we get it!}, and maybe a game. the 'good stuff' is from us.
the pic is st. nicholas. we went to this cool breakfast with st. nicholas thing, where they talked about the story of st. nicholas and then we met him. it was fun. but obviously h did not agree.
Great post, Abbey! Christmas is a magical time for kids and parents. It is a time of year that brings families together. It makes me feel good to help out people that need it, even though we do so anonymously. I feel the same way about Santa. He brings our girls EVERYTHING. From us, they get a pair of new PJs on Christmas Eve. I don't want credit or thanks for the gifts. I see the appreciation and magic in their eyes. To me, that says it all!
As for the true meaning of Christmas... I was not brought up in a religious household and neither was my husband. This does not mean that we do not believe or that we do not celebrate the meaning of Christmas, but we focus more on the magical, fantasy aspect of it with our family. The girls know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but that's about as far as it goes. Again, not because we don't believe, we just were not brought up that way or taught that way. To us, Christmas means peace and generosity. It means love and togetherness. It celebrates everything good in the world!
oh man. Sorry about that. I love posting from my phone. It's helpful like that.
I love the breakfast idea with St. Nicholas. There is a lot of history that I like about this season that may not all be bethlehem related as well. I think it is good to acknowledge all Christ-like givers. I've been thinking about this a lot since last night too, and I've decided it's just the "gimmes" that I don't like. I don't like how my kids and others their age think that Christmas is the time to get EVERYTHING they've ever wanted. Huge crazy expensive gifts and things that aren't even possible (I love squashing a good dream, don't I?) I don't think it's so much the case with little kids. It's still innocent and magical to them. But so many (again, older kids IMO) think that Santa Claus is this magical being that brings them EVERYTHING on these lists they work on for months and I feel like that teaches thinking about yourself instead of thinking about others. I could probably go on and on about this and blow up your comments some more, I know you'd like that. And it's really not Santa and elves and all that fun stuff, this is mostly a rant about our culture. But I've enjoyed it!
wow really cool to see st. nicholas in person :)
He brings chocolates to our children on december 5th. they put out a wooden shoe by the fireplace and he delivers a little gift....unless your naughty then he steals you away to work in the coal mines.
Our kids can thank the dutch mission :)
Great post! You are so right. Everyone is entitled to their own traditions. I have wanted to do more as far as the magic like you do. I just can't seem to do enough of Christ things as well and I am still working on that balance. I just let my kids think what they want and I remind them it is still about Christ. However I did have to warn Katie that once kids stop believing in Santa he no longer leaves them a present (which is only one.) She stopped trying to discredit Santa right then. It was funny.
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