Yesterday we talked about how and when to explain to children the truth about Christmas and in the end I left you a stroke of how we do it at home. I didn't want to expand because that's why I'm here today, to give you a sample of how we celebrate Christmas in my non-believing family and how we treat the theme of traditions and the "magic" of Santa Claus and the Magi.
We don't have a nativity scene in my house
There are many non-believers who put nativity scenes at home by tradition. Not in my house. No, because that would mean having to explain to the children who this family is, and since we do not believe that it really existed, for us they do not deserve to be there more than other fictional characters that we like more, we like them better, no more than historical figures who perhaps did something important and nobody remembers them.
But we do have a tree, with its lights and ornaments. A small tree, lit based on a tradition that began in Germany in upper-class homes, putting candles on trees, back in the 18th century. When the light bulb was invented, Edward H. Johnson, an inventor partner of Edison, decided to put some special light bulbs in the Christmas tree of his company, in 1882, and decades later began to extend its use to the present day, and extending the lighting to each one's home. Come on, we do it by tradition: tree, some lights, some figure, motifs related to Santa Claus and stop counting.
Meals and dinners
On Christmas day we all get together at my parents' house and We celebrate christmas. We say Merry Christmas, whose meaning comes to be the same as "have a good time these days, may everything go great". On the 26th, at home my in-laws, another meal. We do not celebrate Christmas Eve in any special way with the rest of the family (years ago, but if we are going to see the 25 and 26, why?), So we make a dinner at home a few years more special and other years less , depending on the desire. And on the 6th we celebrate Kings Day at my in-laws' house eating all together again.
That is, there is Santa Claus and there are Kings, but the fat beard of the white beard is magical and the red suit is magical as the Kings, and if they know they are coming because in their day they brought gifts to the Child Jesus they will know for others, because we don't explain that story to them, unless they ask us. For us, and for them, they represent the illusion of giving something to someone for nothing, which does not have to be something material, but to have a detail, be a little better person, give away no matter what.
Your letter from Santa Claus and Reyes
This is not something we have thought about, but our children don't make a letter. A few years ago, but not two or three years ago. We are asking them a little what they want and they themselves select what they prefer. In the end, a few days before, we tell you to see what makes them more excited and this year everything has become one thing the oldest, two medium and small, well, he wants everything (everything he sees on TV "! I want it! "), so you'll settle for anything.
But we will not give you one thing. We have been talking in recent weeks and to the gift or gifts they have requested we will add the things that make us excited to give them Or we think they may need.
Of magic and invented characters
In Catalonia we have to Uncle, which is a smiling wooden log that, according to tradition, is fed during December with food and fruit remains and, on Christmas Eve or Christmas, it is given with a stick singing a song to make nougat, chocolate, some toy, etc. There are families that only make the Tió and it is the one that brings all the gifts, but in our case it only brings some small thing, to be funny.
At Christmas comes Santa Claus and the day of Kings, the three magicians, but as I explained yesterday, We neither lied nor told them the truth. We carry out the tradition without explaining magical and impossible stories. Why? Because we don't want to lie to them and because we don't want to fight tradition either. We like to live it with enthusiasm and it is also very difficult to fight against what the whole society has created. For example, Guim is 3 years old and I don't know what he thinks, but right now it would be hard for me to convince him that Santa Claus doesn't exist, not even the Kings, and that it's the parents who give him everything. In fact, I probably wouldn't understand much of what he explained, so I let him make the movie himself and when he asks me, we'll tell him the truth.
We will tell her as we told her in the middle when, at 4 years old, she asked if we were the parents (normal, considering that we were not very sneaky either). "What do you think Aran?" "I think it's you because you ask us what we want for Christmas." "Well yes, honey, but we play that Santa Claus and the Kings bring it. Oh, and don't tell any child, that there are children who think they are them and they would be very sad if you told them." To date, two years later, I have no record of saying anything to anyone.
Why do we do it like this? Because I had a very bad time when they told me the truth. I caught a pissed off book, and see that I don't get angry easily. It was such a disappointment that I took that despite the illusion of each year, the pain made me feel disappointed, especially because when I had doubts they lied to me and convinced me again that everything was as they told me.
Why and why Miriam was never lied either. She told me that since they were little they put things in the tree to each other and that she remembers that Christmas with a lot of love because just like the parents gave their two daughters, they also gave for them things they thought and prepared from days and weeks before. I found it so beautiful that I wanted that for my family too.
