WHAT EXACTLY DO WE DO FOR OUR ADVENT TRADITION?
There are many different ways to celebrate advent with candle lighting ceremonies and I have created my own which is an adaptation of a Catholic tradition. I use purple candles the first three weeks to symbolize the royalty of Christ, a pink candle the fourth week to symbolize joy at the coming of the Savior's birth and a fifth candle, a white Christ Candle to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. The fifth candle gets lit on Christmas Eve. This year (2008) I intend on hunting down some exquisitely beautiful candle holders and decorating my piano (a focus in my living room corner) with only these candles, greenery and a manger scene. I'm going to buy 4 sets of these candle holders and give them to the kids as wedding gifts when they get married. I use new candles each year and the candles are lit each night only during our scripture reading time and on Christmas Eve stay lit during "The Nativity" movie. I'm going to create my own list of passages and thoughts to go with them and I'll add them to this blog when that is complete.
I started this tradition as a way of helping my children keep Christ in Christmas. I have absolutely no problem with Santa Claus. In fact the tradition surrounding the legend of Santa Claus is a beautiful one and worth knowing. Here is a direct quote from www.worldofchristmas.net:
"Hundreds of years back, Nicholas was born to a wealthy Christian family in Patara in around 280 AD. The place is near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was so kind and pious that he helped anyone who came his way and soon many legends about his good deeds became popular. Later, he became the Bishop of Myra. He had inherited a large property, which he used from time to time to help the poor and the sick. He traveled anonymously in the night to ensure that all of his parishioners are well fed and happy. During one of his visits, he heard a family lamenting about their misfortunes and poverty and how they were forced to sell the three poor sisters into slavery or prostitution as their father was unable to provide a suitable dowry to them or even provide food and clothes to them.
That very night, Nicholas threw three purses of gold secretly into their home from the chimney thus, saving them from shame and distress. Later, he became more and more popular as the protector and the patron saint of children and sailors. His feast is celebrated every year on his death anniversary on 6th of December and on this day, it considered lucky day to get married or buy more ad more things. His popularity kept growing and by the Renaissance, he was the most popular European saint, especially in Holland. Even when Protestants discouraged the veneration of saints, St. Nicholas continued to enjoy his status and positive reputation and remained one with Christmas forever as Santa Claus or Father Christmas."
The reality is that very young children are terrified of Santa. Toddlers aren't capable of understanding who Jesus truly is yet, and many of them are still not too keen about Santa. Exibit A:
As my kids grew I have to say that about the same time my son started taking an interest in his own spirituality, he also began questioning the validity of Santa Claus. I don't think I lied to him in 2006 (he was 7) but he definitely started asking tricky questions I avoided. In 2007 (he was 8) fagetaboutit. We were at the dining room table working on homework and he asked point blank, "Mom, is Santa Claus real? I just don't believe that reindeer fly...and that one of them has a glowing nose." He also knew scientifically at this point that the North Pole doesn't support human life. What is a mother to say to that? I couldn't contain my laughter! I tried the trick my mom used on me, "If you don't believe in Santa he won't bring you any gifts." But even as a child I knew for sure he wasn't real when I asked a similar question. The only thing I learned from my mom was that lying was something I needed to do go get what I wanted. LOL Anyhoo so I told him the truth, but it didn't matter what I said. He absolutely did not believe Santa Claus was for real. A word of comment: he also really didn't have a true understanding of who Jesus Christ is or what He did for each of us and why we should celebrate his birth and honor his death and resurrection. And frankly Santa doesn't matter to even the most devoted of children from December 26th to Thanksgiving Day.
So the timeframe that kids enjoy and believe in Santa is generally from 3 or 4 to about 7 or 8. Possibly a stretch of 5 total years, all years falling below the age in which they are able to yet comprehend the importance of Jesus in their lives.
I have had friends say, "Well when your kids discover that you lied to them about Santa they might also think you lied to them about Jesus." Not the age that applies to a belief in Santa. This is also the same timeframe in which they believe cows can jump over the moon, women can live in shoes with their children, and pigs can actually go to market. But they start questioning everything out of your mouth at about 7 or 8 and my 9 year old thinks he knows way more than I do already, he doesn't believe half of what I say!!!!
And what about God? Isn't He able to help me reach my children and teach them the truths He wants them to know? Ultimately God determines what my children believe or not. He draws them in, He nurtures their faith, He puts the right people, the right books, the right friends and influences in their path and He makes Himself known to them. I only need to lead them to the waters, He'll dip His cup in and give them a drink.
Is it a lie to let them believe Peter Pan flew with faith, trust and just a little bit of pixie dust? Wasn't Sleeping Beauty revived from the deep slumber of a witch's spell by true love's kiss? How far do we go when avoiding lying to our children in order to gain their trust for a belief in Jesus? Is fantasy as a genre forbidden to good Christian families devoted to God? Mmmm I don't think so. My children attend a special school once a week on Sunday's year-round for the express purpose of learning exactly who Jesus is and what that means to their lives.
I began my advent tradition to help my children maintain a proper focus as we enjoy all the wonderful holiday goings on around us with lights, parties, gifts, traditions and the whole hoopla. Frankly any excuse to truly focus on and celebrate Jesus in a huge way is alright by me. And if Santa brings us that, well what better purpose can he serve? This is my opinion and I'm stickin' to it. *smile*
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