We only got a live tree once when I was growing up. Most of the time, we lived in Texas or The Middle East, where life Christmas trees were in short supply. In fact, in Saudi Arabia most Christmas-type things were in short supply. (Hallowee things were in short supply, too - one year we carved some green squash because there were no orange pumpkins) Most of the Christmas decorations we had on our tree were from a craft fair that the ladies of Dhahran put together. So we had care bears made out of bread dough, angels made out of macaroni, and unicorns made out of styrofoam on our tree. The Styrofoam Unicorn (yes, in capitals) was my particular favorite. Every year, even when I was in my teens and in college, I would say, "We HAVE to have the Syrofoam Unicorn on our tree! It won't be Christmas without it!" And my family would roll their eyes and say, "Sure, since it means so much to you."
And after I got married I went to my mom and said, "Mother dearest, would it be ok if, maybe, perhaps...if I took the Styrofoam Unicorn to be my very own? Please?" There was little to no argument from anyone.
When I was a kid we had these really neat-o Advent candles. They marked off all the days in December up to Christmas, with a little nativity scene marking Christmas day. I haven't ever found these in the shops as an adult but I'd really ike to have one. Every day we burned the candle down past the day. Sometimes if we skipped a day or two, then we got to burn the candle longer. I especially loved this as it was my first introduction to fire. I love campouts and "roasting" (burninating) marshmallows and other situations that call for fire to be played with.
But back to Christmas. As far back as I can remember we were allowed to open one present on Christmas eve and somehow that present was always pajamas. For years I couldn't figure out how that worked until I realized that my parents were the ones who picked out which present we were allowed to open.
We used to hang our stockings from the mantlepiece, if we had one (we moved around some), but the last decade or so it's become tradition to take our stockings the night before and pick a spot in the living room for Santa to fill it. We each need a stocking area, you see, because Santa usually sees fit to deliver more candy than can actuallay sit in the stocking.
A favorite tradition from my husband's side of the family is his Mom's stockings. Every year she puts together a stocking full of candy and other yummy treats roughly the size and weight of my 5-month-old son.
This year we have plans to celebrate Christmas at my husband's brother's house in Vegas with his family. I still want Christmas jammies for everyone so I think I'll go buy some flannel to make them myself. I already bought some candy for our stockings.
I think that as my kid grows up, we'll teach him about Santa Claus because of the grand and noble tradition thereof. I believed in Santa up until I was about 9, and finding out "the truth" didn't hurt me any.
My beliefs on a mopey day
2 weeks ago

