Printable View
Hi, We have an 11 week old and I'm trying to decide whether to take her to get her photo taken with Santa. On one hand it's all part of the christmas spirit, but on the other as I'm a christian I believe Christmas is Jesus Birthday. I don't want the focus of christmas to be on Santa and presents etc. I'm interested in hearing about other peoples thoughts/practices around Christmas time and Santa etc.
I am not religious, but I believe in the magic of christmas- a time when difference can be put aside, when families come together, of giving to people who have less than you. There is a great thread about instilling the meaning of christmas here
There are several Christmas-themed threads in General Chatter, but as a Christian, this is what I am doing:
1. Each Saturday before Advent Sunday we sit and read the Nativity as a family - four Advent Sundays, so four Saturdays for the four gospels.
2. Santa doesn't visit - Saint Nicholas does (with an explaination of who St Nick is).
3. Midnight Mass - this was always extra-special when I was younger because it was a "stay-up" night, so I made sure I listened to the sermon!
4. House decorations are, at the moment, just plain golden baubles and some candley things (foliage, snowman and St Nick holders - amazingly, St Nick not Santa!), but I'd love to get a small nativity scene with which Liebling can play. Not a priority at the moment!
I'm not a meanie, so we'll still be doing the Christmas Panto and the "normal" stuff, just making sure we know what we're celebrating and why as well. I don't think we do the santa photo over here... I could be mistaken, been a long time since I was a girl!
We're Christians too and we're not into Santa either. However, that's not purely a result of us being Christians.
For me the whole Christmas thing is just ridiculously overdone nowadays and even if the focus for us wasn't on Jesus and God's love, well, I still wouldn't pay too much attention to it (Christmas that is).
Yes it's nice to give a gift to the ones you love, and we do, but to be honest, I don't enjoy receiving a gift that is given purely because someone feels obliged to give it, even if it's a family member. Maybe this is because I don't like 'stuff'. I struggle to answer my family members when they ask me for my Christmas 'requests' because I generally don't want anything (except maybe some BabyBeehinds for Caty!) ...and it's really hard for them to be humble enough to actually not give me something if there's nothing I want and there's nothing they can think of. It's not like they'll die if they don't give something!
We'll be giving Caty a present or two when she's older, but I doubt I'll be sitting her on Santas knee (unless I tell them he's Jesus' friend and that's why he's so special!). And of course we'll read out the nativity story. We'll probably watch the Carols (mainly to see what everyone's wearing!) too.
Hope you don't feel bad or anything if you get that photo....hehehe, imagine if they set up mangers or other nativity stuff in the shopping centres as well as all the Santas! Or is it sacreligious to chuck your kid in a manger?! Eh, probably not :)
Im not religious either so i guess thats really a decision you have to make as to whether to have Santa around during your christmas, just acknowledge his there or not at all.
I took Jesse for his first Santa photo as i wanted him to have it for later on to look back at his first Christmas, so if your question is your DD is too young, not at all. I love Christmas, its my favourite time of year.. a time when families get together and give so much more than just presents and now i have a little one its going to make it all even more special :)
We're not religious either and will prob take Jovi for a photo with Santa. And yes she'll be getting some pressies off him.
I didn't grow up in a religious family as such (apparently my family used to go to church every sunday but after a runin with the minister mum never went back) but I went to scripture classes etc at school and knew all about what xmas was about religiously.
Jovi will be brought up the same ... she will eventually know (when she's old enough) what the "true" meaning of xmas is, but we won't be shying away from the other side of pressies and santa etc.
I think its just a personal choice as to what you want to do and what you are comfortable with. If you don't want to celebrate the Santa side etc that's your choice and that's fine! You shouldn't feel like you should have to bring up your child a certain way just because others are doing it.
I had scripture at school too and am now so conscience of writing "XMAS" as its was drilled into our heads that the "X" is crossing out Christ and how we would go to hell if we wrote it. Lovely i know. Even though im not religious it still makes me all ehhhh..
On the whole 'X is crossing out Jesus' thing - well, 'X' or 'rather 'XP' in New Testament Greek are just the uppercase abbreviations for Christ. The Greek letter 'X' can stand for Christ on its own too and if you check out some churches, you'll see this letter in mosaics, on icons etc.
Some nong propogated that and it really annoys me....makes us Christians sound like superstitious idiots! Really, as if you'd go to Hell for that. Puhleeesse!
I have taken Kaitlyn to get a santa photo twice now ..she was 3months the first time. I love love love Christamas but I also think that a picture with santa is like a moment in time...the one photo you can get at the same time every year ..a real timeline IYKWIM.
I also had a good friend that didnt take their 3month old for a santa piccie as he was so young...and she wishes she had now. So that is what really pushed me t oget the first one and I am glad I did now.
I know, thats just what we were told as kids.. not a nice thing for a child to learn i tell you.:
We are Catholics and still have santa in our household. I combine the both, we go to church, decorate the house with nativity scenes and also let our little bub get excited about and believe in santa! I couldnt take that away from him, when so many other children enjoy it including myself as a child. You can have a good balance between both.
Joshua had his santa photo taken and he absolutly loved santa!
We're Christian, but believe that Santa is part of the magic of childhood! Santa will have a definite presence in our household, this year - and every year! :)
Well we are Christians and have a view that Christmas is Jesus' birthday which we celebrate by giving gifts and we were talking about it with Matilda & said that Santa is a man who lived a long time ago & helped poor families by giving them gifts to celebrate Jesus' birth. So now we give each other presents at this time. We also said that there are many who believe that Santa still comes & gives presents to good girls & boys for Christmas. We are still debating whether or not Matilda will get anything from Santa... we don't want her going to school & some child asking her "what did you get from Santa?" and Matilda answering "Nothing, Santa's not real".... LAst night we were thinking we may have Santa fill her stocking for a few years.... we're still debating it. Also we have placed more emphasis on the day rather than the gifts, so the whole day is filled with fun for all of us & heaps of yummy food!