Christmas and all that

We bought our first Christmas tree the first Christmas after we had moved to the USA. And we still use that very same Christmas tree today. Before that, we were in an orthodox environment where having Christmas trees is seen as a distraction from what Christmas should be about, in the opinion of the orthodox Christians there at least.
But as a young family in a new strange country with no further family we got to develop our own little traditions. These traditions are little events the kids are expecting and looking forward to now, including the making of a yearly gingerbread house.

I'll be honest and tell you that I don't believe in Christmas. Assigning certain feelings to specific dates, may it be Easter, a birthday, or a death, is not something I believe in. I'm not a sentimental person, however I do appreciate that others are attaching values and remembrance rituals to certain days of the year.
Personally, when the page of the 24th of December falls, I am not getting sudden emotions of peace and goodwill. God knows I certainly don't get feelings of peace trying to do some shopping in the mall these days. I almost feel like we as a people are being like sheep following the other sheep, spending money on gifts that are hardly needed. All the songs of peace and movies about children deserving a Christmas experience can stir up feelings of guilt and generosity. Christians have claimed these days as theirs, while the origin of the festival most likely has nothing to do with Christianity, and we almost buy into it.

Maybe it's because of our Christian upbringing that we never made the kids believe there was something like an all knowing Santa Claus, who would watch them to see if they are good or bad. I didn't want to place believes in their heads that were later to be crushed when we would tell them that it was all a lie. Also, we didn't want them to be fearful of a God or a Dutch Sinterklaas with his book of names (isn't that ironic?), or a Santa Claus who would watch their moves. Watching movies like the Santa Claus, and The Polar Express, almost wants me to believe......Oh heck, sometimes I would love to believe the Bible from beginning to end to get some sort of comfort that "everything will be all right", but I would only be kidding myself.

Despite all of the above, I have to admit, I love the lights and the decorations; the presents under the tree; the eggnog lattes at Starbucks, so I do enjoy it with my family as long as it lasts. I'm not that stubborn...

The Gingerbread house will slowly but surely be nibbled away by Boxing Day. I guess we all have our little rituals that help to keep us going.