When I was growing up, piles of presents from Santa could be found under our tree. Santa did not wrap the gifts. Shortly after I stopped believing, my parents quit Santa. Fearing we would love Santa more than Jesus, they told all of us he did not exist, and honestly I remember wondering if I would soon learn that Jesus is a mere myth as well. Of course, a very big book detailing the work of God in the lives of his people, and the very fact that even adults worshipped him seemed less like an act than the whole Santa gig.
Andy and I became parents and had to settle the Santa thing for our own kids. I firmly held to not starting the whole charade. Andy disagreed. With Zach and Savannah, we decided to play Santa. We told them that Santa is pretend, and pretending is fun.
I relaxed when Julia came along, and we left the pretend part out of the Santa act. Then came Wyatt. We still wanted some more fun on the Santa front with Julia, but Wyatt was almost six when he landed in our family. He had five Christmases behind him with no Santa. Wyatt believed in Santa. I think this was because we didn't make a big deal out of the whole world piece. I also think this is because Wyatt's love language is gifts, so that boy has no intention of blowing an opportunity to receive gifts. In fact, he still believes.
That said, Santa is a small part of our Christmas celebration. He stuffs the stockings and brings each child one gift. That gift is usually not the most longed for thing on their wish lists. Santa's gifts are the only ones under the tree wrapped in Santa paper which we try to keep hidden from the kids. I remember being disappointed when I was a kid because when Santa started wrapping our gifts (he didn't wrap them for many years), his paper was exactly like Mom's. At our house Santa uses simple stick on bows, and writes the child's name on the gift in red Sharpie. The gifts from us, on the other hand, have the curling ribbon that nobody seems to be able to remove and black Sharpie labels.
In addition to the gifts from Santa, each child gets two gifts from Mom and Dad. Christmas gifts here are fun rather than practical. They get the toys on their lists. We keep a tight budget all year, and the kids only get their desires for useless stuff met on their birthdays and Christmas. Any other time they are pining for a toy or game, we remind them that they have an allowance. It is small, but I have to say that allowances are one of the best things we have ever done. I rarely hear over and over in a store about something desired because I simply remind the child that the allowance is for that even if the item would require years of saving.
The Santa discussion has come up in several places lately, so I thought I would share our Santa tradition. This year I picked up a book from the library on the real St. Nicholas and Christmas traditions around the world. I don't know much about St. Nick and felt that his way of sharing Christmas love is worth sharing with the kids this Christmas season.
Tomorrow morning we will find Santa gifts under the tree and enough candy in the stockings to cause some more dental bills. However, we will also find the baby Jesus has arrived in the manger overnight. After journeying through the house, Mary and Joseph will arrive there today. We will definitely read the account of Jesus' birth from Luke. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday, we may even go to a simple church service before digging into the goods under the tree, and lovable Wyatt may spontaneously combust with all the waiting!
Merry Christmas!!
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