What is Christmas Tradition?
We spend our time, especially as mothers, making our December INSANE trying to make Christmas for our family. We want to have our houses decorated nicely with a Christmas Tree, and other various decorations, we want to have our cupboards filled with yummy baking, we want to have presents under our tree for our children... and we make ourselves CRAZY trying to make the "perfect" Christmas for our family.
What is perfect?
Perfect is unattainable. There will always be something that goes wrong. Someone will get sick, one ingredient will be unavailable, vegetables will be forgotten in the microwave, cookies will burn, the family pet will get into the tree... there is ALWAYS something that can go wrong.
So why do we do it?
Back to the original question, what is Christmas Tradition?
Well, that really depends on where you come from. Different Countries have different traditions, and each family has different backgrounds. So, truly we make our own traditions.
For me, growing up, we always had Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve at my Oma's house, and then went to church. I don't remember when I was really little, but I do remember that my Grandpa would take us Christmas light hunting after Church so Santa could come and visit my Oma's house. We would then have a lot more food, and open presents at Oma's house. After everything was opened and our thank you's were said we would go home and put out our stockings. Christmas Morning, we would be allowed to open our stockings (after we made Coffee for mom and dad) and go through the loot that was in there. Then, my mom and dad, and I would start making breakfast of Eggs Benedict with Champagne and Orange Juice (I would usually only have orange juice until I was significantly older.) After breakfast was done (and cleaned up) we would sit in the living room and my dad would hand out the presents one by one until they were all gone, so that it would last longer than a little while. This was always very special to me. In the afternoon all the family would start showing up again, and my mom would make a GIANT turkey dinner, and we would spend more time together.
My husband had a completely different Christmas Tradition. First of all his birthday is on December 23rd, so that kind of got mushed into Christmas. Sean remembers either driving on his birthday the 13 hour drive down to Yakima, WA, USA, to have Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Whitehead (maternal grandparents)... OR... They did the 13 hour drive on December 25th because Sean's dad, being a pastor, would have to preach on Christmas Eve. Christmas for him, was not about the traditional food, or the decorations, or anything like that. For Sean the most important part about Christmas was to just be with his Family. (Also, when his family did open presents, they opened them all at the same time, and Christmas was over within minutes)
So, then, what do I have to work with??? Do I make myself crazy to make a "traditional" Christmas for my children or do I do what I can with what I have??
Usually I start decorating for Christmas on November 12. But, now, because my daughter Maria is going to be born on December 4 (planned C-Section), I will start decorating on December 5th so that she does not feel like her birthday is lumped in with Christmas. We set up a small tree, and a small winter village and stockings in our house for decorations.
Christmas baking has never really been a priority for me. I don't particularly enjoy baking, and I HATE the cleanup afterwards. My mother-in-law does sugar cookies and gingerbread men, and so she has all her grand-babies over for cookie decorating. I'm good with that. Maybe next year when I am NOT recovering from major surgery I will re-evaluate the situation, but as for right now it's not going to happen.
As for Christmas dinner, I think I am going to stick with roast beef and mashed potatoes, and yorkies. Sean LOVES that meal. He gets turkey with his mom and dad, and so there isn't really a point in making a turkey for just two people.
One tradition from my childhood that Sean was MORE than willing to carry on was Eggs Benedict on Christmas morning. That is something that we will always do. We also have our own little present opening time together on whatever day we decide to do presents.
I don't think my kids, or my family is missing out on anything. We go to Church on Christmas Eve, and we worship the One True God who is the reason for the season.
So... Do I make my house look like it was cut out of a magazine, or do I work to spend the time with my children and my husband??
Well, I think that we need to look at the big picture...
Why do we celebrate Christmas???
We celebrate the season of Christmas because of Jesus Christ. Am I right? Did the birth of Jesus Christ really bring along with it pretty decorated trees, fancy meals, special baking and extravagant presents?? No!!
Jesus was born in a cave in a manger, surrounded by smelly animals, and I am sure lots of poop. What about the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus, you ask? That didn't happen for a few YEARS after Jesus was born. He was, I believe, almost 2 years old before the wise men found him and gave him the Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. The picture below is even a romanticized version of what really happened.
So, that is where I am at about Christmas, and the "traditions" that we make for our families. I enjoyed the times that I had with my family growing up, not because of what we did, but more because we were together. I enjoyed Christmas baking as a child because it was something that I did WITH my mom. We did it together. So, maybe as my girls get older our traditions will change because of what THEY want their Christmas to look like, but not because of what I was to make it for them. Besides, they are so young this year, they won't remember what we did this year. Jenni will remember her baby sister, and Maria will remember... well... nothing.
Maybe next year will be a different story.
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