For the Love of Christmas

What is wrong with enjoying Christmas?

Is it really so bad to encourage your kids to believe in Santa?  To want to let them keep that magic as long as possible?  

We are not religious.  I'm not talking lapsed Catholics here (although Matt was raised Catholic), I'm talking no religious leanings what-so-ever.  (I actually have very strong feelings about this, but won't go into that now.  My feelings about organized religion are another post for another day.)  We love Christmas.  We celebrate it as a time to focus on our family, the importance of giving and sharing, and just general love and peace.  We do not reserve these feelings or actions for December.  We are well aware of the origins of Christmas, and that for a lot of people, Christmas is only about the celebration of the birth of Christ.  We don't roll that way.  I don't chastise people for their beliefs; that is not the way we roll, either.  We have our personal feelings, others have theirs.  The end.  Normally.

A recent Facebook post from one of my aunts infuriated me.  This is how it read:

  

".. why do we lie and say the easter bunny is coming or santa is coming so u better be good..Those are lies.. the tooth fairy all of it LIES.. why not be honest is because it takes away parents enjoyment.. why not teach them there is no santa and educate about the birth of Jesus? Why do we not set and example"

Lucien is friends with her on Facebook.  (He rarely uses it, and just likes to play the games.)  Lots of other kids use it, too.  Why would an adult do this?!  What sort of Grinch would want to take the magic of Santa away from a small child?  Don't they grow up and lose their innocence quickly enough?  I can understand that she may feel this way.  While I don't agree with her religious beliefs, I can respect them.  I wish she would have showed the same courtesy to those of us who want to preserve belief and childhood while we can.  It is my right as a parent to decide what I do and do not expose my child to, and this was not her decision to make.  Luckily, neither of my kids saw this, and I have hidden her on Lucien's account to avoid any mishegas in the future.

The really sad part is that she has several grandchildren of her own.  I wonder if she called them right up to tell them the "truth".  I highly doubt this.  She is the last one I would have expected this from, and I must say that I am more than a little disappointed.

On a lighter note, No Chaos Christmas is going fairly well!  I think the kids are noticing the difference.  I'm starting to get just a little panicky; I no where near done my shopping.  BUT, I am working on a list tonight, maybe doing a little online shopping, trying to get out sans kids this weekend, and should be in pretty good shape by next weekend.  We will also be finishing up the shopping for the 3 kids the girls at work and I are buying for.  (love, love, love doing that!)  YAY!