BOOM! 35 days till Christmas Day! This year went so fast. I wasn't sure what had happened? I had to sit down and think about the big and the little moments which makes this year a memorable and an important one.
Which also leads me to think what I am teaching my kids about Christmas? Is it only about being good so they will receive the presents they desire from Santa?
Growing up in the Philippines where Santa is not so big. We knew stories about him but he wasn't the big picture of our Christmas celebration/tradition. We had and still have 'simbang gabi' (Night Mass) which has a very deceptive name because mass actually starts at 4 or 5AM!! Which means I had to wake up at 3am and the kids in the neighborhood walked to the chapel/church for mass.
We would also form groups to do Christmas caroling - knocking at people's door and singing in exchange for small silver coins. I knew that some kids would make their own drums from cans, deflated balloons and rubber bands; and tambourines from 'tanzans' (beer/coke bottle tops) and wire.
Christmas Eve and Midnight Mass are also a big celebration and we have certainly kept that tradition in our family in Australia.
When I was a 9 or 10 year old student of St Anthony Catholic school, we created Advent Wreaths as a project to commemorate the birth of the savior Jesus Christ (Roman Catholic). Our wreaths actually have 4 candles which we light every week the last one being purple and lit on Christmas day.
What Christmas tradition am I going to create with my kids? I've started telling Jack that it's Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day. To which he responded 'birthday cake.' So we are going to bake Jesus a chocolate cake.
When they are a little older, I can involve them in making a wreath and decorating our Christmas tree and nativity set. Atthe moment they are destrying my tree - by Christmas day all the baubles are gone. I'm happy if its still standing. LOL.
