I have had this idea in my mind for a long time, and never really shared it with anybody but my husband (even with him I shared it only after we got married, I believe). In our family we won't have any gifts for Christmas. Our family might not be the most religious on earth, but I do want this holiday to be what it's meant to be about: the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. In our family, we do believe in God, our kids will be taught about God and I hope that they will follow Christ's teachings. However, I think that having Christmas be all about gifts is not a good start on focusing on religion in our family. I mean, yes, adults can understand that Christmas is not all about gifts, but can kids differentiate between gifts and the holiday itself? I don't think so. Plus, I think that in our age, even some adults get so wrapped up in gifts, getting them, buying them, that they forget to think about what this holiday is all about.
I am writing this blog for myself more than for anybody. For me, this blog is a promise I am giving myself that in our family we will never exchange gifts on Christmas. If anything, I want my (future) kids to sacrifice something on that holiday, maybe buy a gift for an orphan with their own money, or maybe just donate their time to some charity, etc. I just want them not to develop a habit that Christmas is the time for exchanging gifts.
Yeah, I know that other families around us will keep giving/receiving gifts at Christmas, and I am not saying that my kids won't get any gifts, but I like Russian way of giving gifts much better. In our family we will exchange gifts on New Years instead of Christmas. I think it makes more sense than Christmas.
So, starting from this year there are no more gifts on Christmas for our family (even though right now it only consists of 2 people). From now on, we are going to celebrate Jesus' birthday on Christmas and nothing else. We are not going to get wrapped up in our selfishness, we will save it for New Years. Oh, yeah one more promise. I will never buy more than 1 present for my kids for New Years. There is no need for it if you ask me. Please don't take me wrong, I don't judge anybody who does anything according to other traditions, I just don't want to get wrapped up in materialism. I know that I like shopping too much as it is, but start buying more than 1 gift for New Years and start mixing Christian holidays with material things just seem too much for me.
Like I said, this blog is a promise to myself, and I hope that my husband will support me in this, and will remind me about this promise whenever I start forgetting it!
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4 comments:
It's all ok with me. I think we should also do charity that day if we can. But I don't know how we explain to the kiddies that Santa finds our house 6 days late! Cuz we will have to have Santa.
just tell them that santa is friends with their crazy aunt. they will understand it ) santa got under bad influence )
Yeah, good idea. I am sure once we tell the kids that Santa is friends with auntie Kara, they will not even ask again what is wrong with Santa :)
yeah!!!!!!!! :) you know they might not even ask at all since there is a possibility they will be like me :))))
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