Our Christmas Traditions

Lots of the blogs I've been reading lately have been talking about Christmas traditions, inclduing the biggie....Santa. To Santa or not to Santa...that is the question my friends.

But first to Christmas traditions. We're only a new little family (this our second Christmas with our baby) so we don't have many of our own traditions (we spend Christmas first at my folks' house (we stay there Christmas Eve) and then at one of Justin's siblings' places (we stay there Christmas Night)). So far we:

* Take a walk around town in the dark and look at the houses with their lights up. Easy to do last year when Cate was tiny and snuggled in the Ergo (and also sporting a 10pm bedtime), not so easy to do this year when it will mean waking her from slumber to chug around in the pram. Still. We will persist as it's lovely walking in the dark with my little fam and there is this gorgeous house that does an utterly amazing life-sized nativity scene complete with the three wise men and the star.

* Buy Cate a Christmas Eve outfit that is utterly and unashamedly Christmasy. Last year it was a Santa hat with a red 'Baby's First Christmas' onesie, this year it is a cute-as-a-button Mrs Claus outfit. Can't wait to get her ready for mass in this darling little number.

As you can see, it's not much! This year we are adding 'Going to Christmas Eve Mass as a Family' to the list for the first time. Every previous year I have gone with my mum and sister in my hometown parish. This year, Justin and I will take Cate to mass in our own parish - a big step for me! I am sad to not be with my mum and sister but excited to be with my own little family.

Next year we'll be adding several other Christmas traditions to the mix. First, we'll have a tree. Have skipped it for a few years as we don't spend Christmas here AND I didn't want to deal with a tree and a 14 month old. But next year Cate will be old enough to understand a tree so we'll get one and decorate it together and it will be grand. She'll also receive a stocking next year with her name on it and Santa will fill that with little pressies. Fun! Next year we will also be ready to start telling the story of the nativity and Cate will have an advent calander too.

Now to the Santa bit. I have no problem with Santa. I don't care that his image is taken from a 1930s Coca-Cola ad, I have no problem with Cate sitting on 'Santa's' lap for a picture (as long as Cate is happy to sit with Santa - if not, no big deal) and I don't consider it lying to my child when I induldge in accepted childhood fantasties such as Santa and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Cate will receive a stocking from Santa and a present or two under the tree from Santa and I hope she'll enjoy the Christmas Eve anticipation and excitment, the long process of falling asleep and the delightful anticipation of waking in the morning, knowing at last, it's time to get up and celebrate (a.k.a get up and rip the hell out of every available wrapped item!). For me the problem isn't with Santa, the problem is that sometimes the hyper-excitement about Santa takes away from the real meaning of Christmas - and for me, as a Catholic, this is to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Now I'm not all happy-clappy freaky-deaky religious and I'm hardly a model Catholic. But I was raised Catholic and I have had my child baptised. It is therefore extremely important to me that, alongside Santa, is Jesus...and that the beautiful story of Jesus' birth is not swept to the side in an orgy of presents and red suits and white beards.

On future Christmas Eves I hope my baby girl is excited not only beacuse Santa is coming, but also because it's time to celebrate Jesus' birthday. I hope she finds peace and wonder in carols like 'Silent Night' and 'O Holy Night'. I hope she continues to stare at the nativity and want to reach out and touch it (okay, so hopefully she won't want to slobber all over Mary and Joseph as has been the case this year...teething and the nativity don't mix!). Most of all, I just can't wait to experience the wonder, magic and excitment of Christmas through my baby girl's eyes. To me this is what Christmas is all about.

PS Excuse the lack of pics lately...my camera died. Boo Hoo. Perfect time for a replacement to crop up BUT not sure the budget will stretch to cameras when I just recived over $800 of bills in the mail. Bah Humbug!

PPS But here is ONE little piccie - Cate did sit on Santa's lap this year with little fuss, although it didn't exactly thrill her. Oh well!