What’s the Meaning of Christmas?
Teaching the true meaning of Christmas can be hard….
As part of my ongoing evolution of raising another 6 year old, this time of year seems to be full of questions bouncing around in their minds. Hanukkah is upon us and at our school my children have several friends who are jewish who’s families truly make the most out of it. However, the to the brain of a kindergartner, this is Christmas spread out over many days instead of just one. The thought is almost too good to be true to them.
But in our home our faith is a very important aspect of our lives and how we parent our kids. It’s never far from the conversation. While it’s important to us we have really tried very hard to instill in our children the idea that one’s faith is a very personal relationship and it should be respected as such.
Fortunately, we have been blessed with some loving kids (knocking on all the wood I can find), and Christmas in our home is typically a very special time of year for everyone. Sure there’s stress with exams, parties, etc. but I feel like I see way more smiles this time of year than frowns.
As for the “Hanukkah conversation,“ it has allowed us an opportunity to discuss the real meaning behind Christmas and its significance as Christians. So when we asked our 6yr old, “What is the true reason we celebrate Christmas?” His response was as unquie as ever…
“We celebrate Christmas for the Republicans!”
How or why the word “Republicans” popped in his head is beyond me. Now it is true Republicans do get to celebrate Christmas as well. But obviously, that’s not the ideal repsonse we would like to hear. Not only because of our faith but because we are actually faily mainstrem when it comes to politics. It’s a pretty rare occasion in our home when we get down to talking party politics with our kids.
Part of his reponse is a joke, but his heart is as big as the sky and I know in his heart he has a true appreciation for the meanig of Christmas.
If you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas or anything in between, I hope you get to hang out with a “Republican” because evidently for them it’s even more special.
