Special Christmas traditions

[SBmom]

<p>Jeepmom, our tradition is similar; stocking on the chimney but NOTHING may be touched till we are all up and have coffee in hand. I did not realize how important that was to my kids until this year when teenaged S told me not to let his little brother do anything until we woke him up too. </p>

<p>One of my favorite traditions *was<a href=“sniff”>/i</a> writing notes to Santa on Christmas eve and putting them out with cookies. We did the Easter Bunny too. </p>

<p>Every holiday there would be reply notes thanking them for the food or the letters. Also, props. Like one year I left carrot tops with granwed off carrots all around the kitchen as though the bunny had gone wild. At Christmas the cookie plate had to be messily eaten with a bit left on the plate and a sip or two left in the glass for proper effect.</p>

<p>Oh how fun those writing the notes and doing the props were. Now nobody is left on the believe side of the fence; however it was fun to include my littlest S in the shopping and wrapping and he got really into it. </p>

<p>I will never forget that littlest one at about age 5 writing, 'Dear Santa, can you please tell me: how do reindeers fly?" (“Santa” replied that it was a secret, because the last time he’d told a kid that info, the kid had taught his dog to fly–with disastrous results. Following year Little S said, “Santa, the dog died, now can you tell me?”)</p>

<p>Another note tradition in our family is that every year for Christmas and my birthday (at my request) my kids each write letter to me, as gifts. DD makes them very elaborate cards with illustrations. I treasure these letters, they are beautiful.</p>

[binx]

<p>I love Christmas, but our tradition is a little different.</p>

<p>Please don’t flame me, but … we didn’t do Santa. I love Santa, but my H doesn’t (for personal and religious reasons), and to save our marriage, we had to come up with an alternative. Our kids got their presents (and still do) from “Swiley” – which is really SWLY – “Someone Who Loves You.” The up side is that there was still mystery, and wonder. And they never “expected” anything from someone with unlimited resources, or created demanding wish lists. But still got plenty excited! And it was all true.</p>

<p>We are Christians, and H was concerned that we would say, about Santa, “There is someone who sees you all the time. Knows everything about you. Gives you lots of good things. Christmas is about him. Ha, ha! He’s pretend.” And then say the same thing about God, and expect them to believe in Him. </p>

<p>The downside was the negative reaction we got from so many. In the grocery stores our kids stared blankly at people who asked them what Santa was going to bring them, who then fixed us with suspicious eyes. We didn’t mention Santa at all until the kids went into preschool. Then we told them Santa was a “private” matter, and that it was between kids and their parents, and none of our business. They were fine with that. (We treated sex ed the same way! ) </p>

<p>However, I felt obligated to tip off oldest S’s preschool teacher, just because we didn’t know what S would do, and she had a fit. Complained to the school that I was “against” her teaching Santa (which was not at all the case.). Caused all kinds of problems with her, and I got called in to the director’s office! I think it made her MORE pro-Santa, and she poured it on. My S came home from preschool a few days later and said, “Mom, I know Santa isn’t real, so who REALLY comes down the chimney.” Another day, he came home worried. “Mom, REINDEER are real, aren’t they?” He was majorly conflicted in what his authority figures were telling him.</p>

<p>There were many times I wondered if this was how non-Christmas-celebrating families felt. I’m curious if there’s anyone else on this board who didn’t do Santa?</p>

[Mr.B]

<p>A book as a gift every Christmas. A toothbrush and an orange included in the stocking, something to draw with, and eventually a nap. The nap was important when they were little and again as I grow older.</p>

[klmcpa]

<p>We have done the annual ornament for each child as well, and for us grown-ups, an ornament from whatever place that we have visited during the year. On Christmas morning my husband dons the special Santa hat, is accompanied by Bing Crosby singing, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” and then begins to hand out the gifts. It’s funny how some traditions sneak up on you!</p>

[TheDad]

<p>Re traditions sneaking up: my favorite sister in-law belonged, for some 40 years, to an order of nuns [Sisters of Loretto]. While for at least two decades she did not live “in community” [with other nuns], they had to be very careful when they did. A practice done three times in a row became “a tradition” and then had to be continued. Nobody wanted to add new traditions.</p>