The magic of letters, visits, and pictures with Santa mark this season’s memories of my childhood.
Parenthood is full challenges. Thankfully, we get to decide how to raise our own children. Sometimes we will continue behaviors and traditions passed to us by our parents. Other times, we will decide to create our own. Either way, you are entitled to your own opinions, values, and traditions.
Can You Be Christian & Support Santa?
Although I am a Christian and know that Christ is the real reason behind Christmas, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with creating the same memories for my family that my parents gave my brother and I. I step back, out of the glory, letting Santa shine. We write lists, bake cookies, and relish in the magic and surprise of it all. Sites like the Northpole offer a countdown to Christmas, fun facts, activities and more.
Santa
Our Santa Claus experience starts just before my kids birthdays in November. I have them write lists of things they want Santa to bring them. For my four year old, we mail her letter off to Santa and I’ve even signed her up to receive a call from Santa in which he will mention her brother by name, tell her he knows her favorite color is pink, and that she will be getting a Lalaloopsy doll. I believe that my 11 year old has known “the truth” since having conversations with friends last year in the fourth grade. Yet, he has chosen to participate in our family traditions and knows that he shouldn’t take this experience away from his younger sister. It might be overkill to dress up in an old fashioned Santa Claus costume, right?
Christmas Traditions
Each year, we get a live Christmas tree, decorate it along with all of our living spaces, and prepare for the great day that is December 25. My favorite holiday tradition is how we spend Christmas Eve. I begin the night by taking my family on a car ride to see all of the Christmas lights. It’s something my parents used to do when my brother and I were growing up. We listened to Christmas music along the way and fantasized about all of the things Santa would bring us after we went to sleep. When we returned home, we would bake cookies for Santa and leave them out with a glass of cold milk. My brother and I would have a sleepover in our parents’ bedroom and fall asleep watching one of our favorite Christmas movies – A Christmas Story or Home Alone. It’s amazing that we could even fall asleep with all of the anticipation of Santa’s visit or the presents he would leave us. Now, with technology, we can track Santa’s route, last stop, and next stop using the Norad Santa tracker.
Other Christmas posts you won’t want to miss:
Check out what we thought of our Package From Santa:
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