Christmas Ornaments - Traditions
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Ornaments of
Christmas - Traditions
(Part 2 in a 4
Part Christmas Series)
Note:
To celebrate Christmas, I am writing a 4 part series on the Ornaments of
Christmas, what decorates our lives over the holiday season. Please join me
each week for a new ornament.
Each ornament on our family Christmas
tree is unique. Some are antique, some are new. Some have meaning, and some are
just pretty to look at. But one of our traditions is to talk about each ornament
as we place it on the tree. So decorating our tree takes some time, but the kids
look forward to it every year.
Family traditions are an ornament of our
lives, and they can become a big part of our Christmas celebrations. Each of us
may have some traditions from our childhood, but we also develop new traditions
when we marry and have children. Some family traditions are well planned and
some just seem to happen by chance, and stick around because everyone loves
them.
One tradition that just happened is our
letter to Santa. When the children were little, we wanted them to write a letter
to Santa. However, as a busy mom of several diaper-clad-ankle-biters, I simply
forgot to take them to the mall or elsewhere with a pre-written letter to
Santa. So there it was, Christmas Eve, and we had not yet written our letter to
Santa.
Being a quick thinking mom, I explained
to Hannah and Sydney (then four and two) that Santa is magic, and we could leave
the letter by the tree and he would be able to leave the gifts when he came
that night. They quickly write their detailed letter in backwards letters and misspelled
words only a mom could love, and placed it in the branches of the Christmas
tree.
In the morning, they found many of the
presents they had asked for, and a reply letter from Santa specifically written
to them. Santa talked about how grown up they were, and how proud he was of
Hannah and her Kindergarten success. He spoke of Sydney’s potty training, and
how loving they were to their new baby brother. And he told them to always
remember that Christmas was about more than the gifts, and reminded them about
Baby Jesus and the gift God gave to the world.
Well, that Christmas Eve letter became
our tradition. What began because of a busy mom’s forgetfulness has become an
annual tradition at the Berg house. A few years after that night, I found a
felt envelope addressed to Santa at a craft show, and so every year, our letter
goes in there and is hung on the tree. And every year, Santa writes back, specifically
to each of our children, even the grown up teenagers, telling them how proud he
is of them and reminding them to focus on Jesus for Christmas and in their
lives.
Of course, one by one, each of the children
figured out that the letters were from Dad, but as they grew up, that made them
even more special.
As Family traditions are an ornament of
our lives, one that shines bright. Some family traditions are well planned and
some just seem to happen by chance, and stick around because everyone loves
them. Whatever your family traditions are, embrace the joy in them, and know
that the best Christmas tradition is the one that points you to the Baby in the
manger. The Great I am. The One who was born to save us all.
And that is the tradition we must hand
down.
Posted by Trish Berg 7:55 AM
