
Jessamy is Mum to two gorgeous boys and absolutely loves Christmas! She tells us what Christmas means to her and reflects on a very important issue…
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I’m especially lucky at Christmas. I love Christmas: it fills me with the warmest happiest feelings and a truckload of happy memories from my childhood. I am lucky because my Christmas foundation was built strong and solid by my parents. Their love of Christmas was to be my love of this special occasion.
My mum always told us there were a vast many people who were not as fortunate as us. We always created packs of Christmas presents for children in the community and passed them on. It made us feel good to know that one less child went without on Christmas day. I have continued that tradition with my children but it always worried me how a child can just feel loved from a present. What if their parents didn’t believe in the love and magic that is Christmas. Let’s be honest, Christmas isn’t just a day it’s a whole month. It’s baking, the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree, the eggnog which waits patiently beside the mulled wine. It’s the Christmas list you write to Santa and then proudly send away to the North Pole. It’s queuing for Santa and believing in the magic of his elves. It’s the family and friends that surround you with all that love. Christmas is not just a day.
However for many kids it is. The day passes by unnoticed and uncelebrated. And that has always made me sad. In our house Santa brings an obscenely large sack with my children’s names tastefully decorated on the side by some lovely woman from Wales. Thank you notonthehighstreet.com. It’s full of 2-3 carefully selected presents that were on the children’s list to Santa. The rest of the bag is filled with cheap fun based presents and sweets. Santa loves gifting my boys sweets, he did with me and he will always continue to do so in my family. The larger and more expensive gifts are always reserved for us to gift the children.
Yesterday I saw a Facebook post asking us to think about less fortunate children and what Santa brings. And it got me thinking about how some children, who are less privileged must feel when Santa brings bags for other children and minimal or no toys for them. Are we telling these children that they were naughty or, God forbid, that they don’t deserve it.
My children go to a school with families from all walks of life and religions. They know that some children sleep at the end of their parent’s beds because they only have minimal space. They understand when kids don’t have play areas or gardens or climbing frames in their yards. They honestly don’t care about it. But they don’t care because they aren’t the ones ‘missing out’. But are they? Missing out I mean. I don’t think Santa is about money. When I was small we didn’t have a lot of money at all. Yet Santa’s sack was as full then as it was later when my parents had more. So who are we to suggest that others can’t afford amazing Santa gifts. But I understand the intent behind this picture and content. Do kids differentiate between Santa and mum and dad? My boys half the time don’t remember unless it’s something they begged for and we had said they weren’t getting! (Yes we can be that mean!).
Christmas is not financial but it can be and we can be drawn into thinking it all is. So how about thinking of it this way. Christmas is special and whatever your version of special is different to mine. Why don’t we just agree that Santa is kind and wonderful and sometimes, just sometimes he can shock you with his generosity. But it’s never about money. Just about the spirit of Christmas and, like I said before, that’s not just a day.
As my firstborn once said to me “Mummy how did Santa know that I wanted a light for the bike you got me?” Then he told the whole world that Santa had given him a bike with a light! Kids are kids. Money isn’t important to them. But it seems to be to us…
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If your child believes in Father Christmas and you want to keep the magic for as long as possible, Elfie’s Christmas Letters (advent letters) and our North Pole Christmas Letters are absolutely perfect. Come and join us on Facebook and over on Christmas Traditions & Magic For Children. The Shop is ready for Christmas 2015 – don’t forget to order Elfie’s Christmas Letters by mid November and the North Pole Christmas Letters by the 14th December.
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