The legends, the stories, and the myths
We’ve all heard the legends, stories, and even fairytales of people who are wealthy helping the poor. St. Nicholas’s legend is no different. This year my goal is to teach my son about the legend of St. Nicholas so that he may understand a little bit better.
Jakob’s magical elf on the shelf, Butch, appeared this year on the Christmas tree as he has for the last nine years. This year, in his letter, he stated that Jakob was getting older and that Santa Claus would need the elf at the North Pole on Christmas Day. As he read the letter to us, I realized that I was setting him up for the failure of not believing in Santa Claus. So the dilemma stands whether or not his Elf on the Shelf returns to Santa or returns for another year of mischief and fun.
As Christmas Day approaches, many parents are wondering whether to tell their child if Santa Claus is real. This year my son turned 11 and tells me that he still believes in Santa Claus and his Elf on the shelf. I asked him the other day ‘what if someone told you Santa was not real?’ His reply was simple and said, “That’s their problem.” A simple, yet honest answer.
When he was a baby, the idea and image of Santa Claus were in our house. I guess it was more for me than it was for him to know who Santa Claus was during the holidays. But it was also the fact that I wanted him to believe in something or someone during the holiday season, even though he did not understand. At the age of two, his grandfather passed away from stage four pancreatic and colon cancer. The death of my father really changed who I was from the inside. But more importantly, it hurt me to know that my son will not grow up (and possibly) remember his grandfather.
My husband decided to create a magical world of lights to make the holidays brighter (no pun intended). This year marks the eighth year that we created a spectacular multi-house synced musical light show and display to recreate the holiday magic. And with the lights, Mr. & Mrs. Claus comes to greet the children.
When my son was old enough, he knew that I dressed up as Mrs. Claus but was never too sure about Santa. I explained to him that I would help Santa Claus during the holiday season because Mrs. Claus had to attend to the elves back at the North Pole. He even called me “Mrs. Claus” when I was in costume.
So now it comes down to are we lying to our children about the belief in a person that no longer exists? I do not see it that way. Because in a way, he still exists just like the ones that are close to us still exist even though they are gone.
It’s okay to have presents come from mom and dad
When Jakob was little, the presents all came from Santa Claus from the most expensive item to even a pair of pajamas. As he got older, we explained that he can only ask for one or two items as Santa has to have enough for all kids around the world. Remarkably, he agreed and would only ask for one or two items, which were not all that expensive.
As the belief continued in our house, Jakob learned how to help others more than think of himself. On Christmas morning, he opens up his presents from Santa and the rest from mom and dad (and to be completely honest, we like to get credit for the gifts too).
However, one thing still remains .... we never truly have forgotten about the true meaning of Christmas.