My parents split up when I was three so I've always had a dual existence. One life with my mom and one with my dad. They each had their own way of doing life. There were as many similarities as there where differences. And the holidays were no exception to that reality. So sometimes Christmas was my mom's way and other times it was my dad's way.
~So growing up my mother was agnostic. Christmas with my mom was about the man in the red suit. She would make quite a big deal about what Santa would be bringing. I remember her making a fuss about Santa when I was eleven. When I hit my teens I told mom that she really didn't have to label the packages from Santa and I think she was genuinely hurt. She did not want us to lose "the magic" of believing.
It was also about family experiences, and giving. She would spend days decorating the house during the holidays. She would put up the tree (which had to be a real tree) and decorate it. She had tons of little knick·knacks that she would put on shelves throughout the house, and stockings would hang on the wall by the fireplace or along the frame of a door. As far as I can recall, I was never encouraged to help decorate, this was something she did in preparation for the holidays. Whether my brothers ever helped or not I don't know. My mom was a bit OCD and liked things to be just so. She would also make candies and cookies and other holiday treats that we were not accustom to having.
It was very important to my mom that she be able to give us a pleasant Christmas and to give us things we would like at Christmas. She often would work a second job during the holidays just to pay for gifts for my brothers and me. Aside from our birthdays, Christmas was the only time of year my mom would spend extra money on us kids. It was all she could do to pay the bills and feed our hungry bellies most of the year. So toys and clothes were a bit of a luxury that was reserved for Christmas and birthdays and the occasional, just because, candy treat.
In all the Christmas' I spent with my mom, never once did we talk about what Christ Mass was. Never did we talk about the baby in the manger. Never did we discuss the star in Bethlehem. Never did we sing carols (except Jingle Bells). Never did we go to church for Mass or service. There were times I'd ask about the Jesus icons- manger, star, shepherds, etc. but my mom would just say, "Oh, that's just religious stuff."
~So growing up my father was a pantheist. Christmas with my dad was about spending those two weeks of vacation trekking through nature, enjoying the crisp winter air and eating yummy store bought Christmas treats. We always had a real tree, decorated rather sparsely in the early years before my step-mom came along. A lot of hand made paper crafts and school projects decorated the tree. I did most of the decorating each year. There were no other decorations beside the tree, no lights outside, no knick-knacks around the house. When my step-mom came along there were a few angel ornaments that were spread around on the shelves, and more tot made and kid made ornaments began to emerge through the years. Our tree was kid decorated for the most part. There were a few gifts under the tree.
My step-mom added the tradition of watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and stockings were added. Which was something my dad never did when I was little. I remember asking my dad when I was ten what Linus meant when he said, "a savior was born". In his own way, my dad tried to tell me about who Jesus was. I wonder now, what it was like for him trying to explain a truth he did not possess. Once I tried to teach a kid how to ski, even though I'd never been on skis before. I tried very hard to teach the boy but, he couldn't really learn much from me because I didn't know much. I imagine it was like that for him. He had heard the story of Jesus, but he did not know Jesus.
When I was fifteen the church I was attending had a Christmas Cantata. We sang a ton of Christmas carols which were all about Jesus coming in a manger, Jesus being the savior...and the like. I spent the next six Christmas' learning how Pentecostals celebrate the birth of Christ. Some of my friends had trees and some didn't. Some told their children that Santa was real, some said Santa was fake. Both had very "biblical" reasons for their choice. None of them celebrated Advent. But all of them tried to make Jesus the center of their celebration during the holidays.
When I went to college I took a class that required that we attend six different protestant churches to observe their musical traditions. It was then that my understanding of the body of Christ began to expand. I began to realize that even in the church one way isn't necessarily the only way to do things. In the past twenty years or so I have been reading about the different ways American Protestant Christians observer Christmas.
The Adventists have traditionally not celebrated Christmas, but in the past 10 years or more some have been inclined to do so. In the past, many did not celebrate because there is no express date of the birth of Christ in scripture and because of the "pagan roots" of the holiday. The official stance is that it is of the conscience of each individual Christian whether or not they should celebrate the feasts. There are no "traditions" used during Christmas season in the Adventist church. Their is no significant difference in the pattern of giving to the needs of others during the Christmas season.
Like their cousins the Anabaptist have traditionally not celebrated Christmas, because of these "pagan roots" that are so evident in the season, whether it be solstice festivals, or the god of rebirth or the myriad of other symbols. Some do celebrate, but in a very different way then what was shown to me in my youth. It is highly unlikely that an Anabaptist child will get gifts from Santa for example. There are no "traditions" in the Anabaptist doctrine for the celebration of Christmas. Their is no significant difference in the pattern of giving to the needs of others during the Christmas season.
Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, celebrate Advent, which is the first four Sundays before December 25th, Christmastide, which begins December 25 and ends the Sunday after January 6th. This is the day they believe Jesus was baptized. This belief system can be traced all the way back to the fourth century. Some have lighted trees. Some decorate with mangers. Most give gifts on December 25th. Many observe this season by giving to those in need, both in their congregations and in the community at large. Many also observe this season by giving to those in need, both in their congregations and in the community at large.
Baptists, Calvinists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics celebrate Christmas by having musicals, plays or other representation of the coming of Christ found in Luke 2:1-20. Some Charismatics also celebrate Advent. Many also observe this season by giving to those in need, both in their congregations and in the community at large.
*I have not studied the Catholic faith in any way, but have been told that they do follow the Liturgy so would likely fall with observing Christmas much like Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists do.
So at forty Christmas to me is about many things. While I know that December 25th isn't Jesus' actual birthday, it is a time that most Christians both Catholic and Protestant choose to celebrate it. We have chosen to blend the traditions of the unbelieving world and of the church in our celebration of this time of year. For me Christmas is about celebrating Christ, about family, about giving (showing others a practical application of love), and about being thankful.
As a family we have certain traditions during this season. As a family we decorate a tree some time after Thanksgiving, usually within a week or two. Over the years we have been given a few ornaments that we put on our shelves and the piano. We also hang stockings. I usually count the days from placing the tree and Christmas day and put four-six candy canes on the tree per day. Each day thereafter the kids can have a candy cane in the evening before bed.
In the weeks before Christmas we will usually read a Christmas story together. For example, one year we read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. We will usually, but not always, read Twas the Night Before Christmas at some point in December. We have done various Advent ideals for kids... like reading a verse every day of December leading up to Christmas but have never actually looked at the tradition of Advent. We have always attended whatever Christmas activities are going on in the church we attended at the time. Those activities have varied greatly over the years. At some point in the month of December some baking of treats takes place.
We have tried to give to those in greater need then us. We have participated in church giving events like Operation Christmas Child, a local soup kitchen, and Halo ministries, among others. Sometimes over the last 15 years we've had to rely upon the heart of giving from others. We have had to be the ones receiving from these ministries. It has been both a blessing and a humbling experience. To know that there are people who will not only give out of their abundance, but in some cases they are giving out of their need, and they thought of us brings tear to my eyes.
The night before Christmas we watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" because for me it was the seeds planted when there was no light, no Christian influence in my life, that began my journey toward my loving Savior. We leave cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer, a tradition from my husband's childhood. We often read Luke 2:1-20 to the children, on nights when my husband doesn't work. I have baked a birthday cake for Jesus 14 years now. We sing Christmas carols, and worship songs while Jason strums the guitar.
On Christmas day, the children are required to wait until Mom and Dad come to their room to get them. Then they open their stalkings. After this we sing happy birthday to Jesus and have a slice of cake and talk about the blessings that God has given us this year. In all the years that we have done this, none of my children have given a list of things, but have always talked of being thankful for who is in their lives. We will read Luke 2:1-20 if we didn't read it the night before. If we did, Jason will often read Matthew 1:18-25. Jason usually prays and thanks God for the most precious gift we can ever receive. Then we open gifts. Later in the day we visit Jason's family and have a meal together.
In addition to our normal activities that we enjoy during the holidays this year:
1. Selah's Scout troop is participating in the Halo ministry in our area. The children will be providing baby blankets and felt blankets for teens. Selah is so exited to be doing this.
2. The Girls Scouts also have a calendar of acts of kindness for the days leading up to Christmas that Selah and I are participating in. We are especially excited about doing the Candy Cane Bomb on the 13th.
3. We are doing a free writing program I found online called Christmas 31 Day Scripture Writing Plan from Sweet Blessings blog.
4. We (the children and I) are taking the time to learn about Advent. Many
Christians take time out of their daily lives for prayer, penance,
and sacrifice through the observance of Advent. Learning the traditions (including their meanings) of my brothers and sisters in faith is important to me.
5. We will read The First Christmas Tree by Henry Van Dyke
No comments:
Post a Comment