Of course, first and foremost we focus on the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus. We live in a world that tries very hard to celebrate Christmas without Christ. I'm not really sure how it possible to do that, but it's done. In our home, we read about the birth of Jesus. We talk about why He came to the Earth. Andrew has started asking a lot of questions about Jesus and who He is, and with it being Christmastime we've spent a lot of time talking about Jesus's birth, life, death, and resurrection. We really work to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of giving to others because Jesus was given to us.
One of the ways we give to others is by packing the Operation Christmas Child boxes. We do this every year. I don't tell you this to "toot my own horn" or to say "look at the awesome givers we are", but to share a great way to teach your children to give to others. This was the first year that Andrew was really involved in packing the boxes, and he helped me pick out a lot of what went in each one. I'll admit that the whole process was a lot like having surgery without any anesthetic, but we (both) survived and lived to tell about it. And hopefully my child has a better understanding of the importance of giving to others.
We also do all the traditional Christmas stuff. We do believe in Santa (at least Andrew does). Patrick and I were raised differently in this regard, but in the end we've decided that as long as Christmas doesn't revolve around Santa then no harm is done. Santa brings one big gift and fills Andrew's stocking each year. The rest of the gifts come from Mommy and Daddy or various other extended family members (and believe me there are a lot). I know that many people choose not to do the Santa thing, and that's fine with me. I have friends and family that choose not to. The only thing I've ever asked is that they respect our decision to include Santa as part of our Christmas traditions.
Of course there are always gifts. I know quite a few people that say they are trying to move away from gift giving at Christmas, and they limit it to one gift or just a couple small gifts. While I see their point, I think you can give your child gifts without taking away from the real meaning of Christmas. I'm not saying go overboard or be too excessive, and this year we are trying to reign it in a bit, because honestly, the kid has too many stinkin' toys. But again, we have a huge family so I'm sure Andrew will get more than he needs.
Patrick and I usually do one or two small gifts for one another. We tend to buy what we want throughout the year so it's kind of hard to find gifts for each other at Christmas. This year I showed him exactly what I wanted so as not to cause any confusion. ;)
Our traditions leading up to Christmas are pretty simple. Every year for the past few years, we've taken Andrew to the Dickens Christmas Parade our town has, and this will the second year we do Breakfast with Santa, which is a lot of fun. We also have a Christmas Countdown Calendar. Everyday, Andrew moves the candy cane up one day. This has really helped with the, "how many days 'til Christmas?" question. Also, we always open one present on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, it's Christmas p.j.s, but then I had an "aha" moment and thought, "Why not let Andrew actually wear his Christmas pajamas before Christmas?" So, this year I'll pick a small toy or book for him to open before Christmas. Andrew has also requested that we make gingerbread men this year, so between all the Christmas parties and busy-ness, I'm going to attempt making gingerbread men, and I'll let him decorate them. This has huge potential to be a disaster.
So that's how we "do" Christmas in a very long drawn out post. I hope and pray that you and your family enjoy a very blessed and Merry Christmas season.
(Our Christmas Card comes from Shutterfly.)
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