Last year as we celebrated Christmas, I realized that Aden was forming his own ideas of the season. I probably would not have given much thought to the traditions we celebrate, but it somehow dawned on me that Aden didn't know anything about Santa Claus. Aden saw the gifts under our tree, but never tried to open them. I don't think he realized that more than half the gifts were for him. Instead, he became fascinated by our nativity scene and the characters represented in it. He loved to hear about the angels and the shepherds, and the wise men and the star, and especially about Baby Jesus. This was the same Jesus we pray to and that Mommy and Daddy talk about. As I saw his true childlike wonder, I realized I had a unique opportunity to shape his view of Christmas. I began to look at the things we do for the holidays, considering the significance behind each activity. Some are full of meaning (the tree with lights, the gifts we give), while others seem pretty shallow (Santa Claus). We began to celebrate Christmas much more intentionally, emphasizing the Baby that inspired it all. One of the things we did was celebrate Jesus' birthday with another missionary family who has done that for many years. Aden got to help blow out the candles on Jesus' birthday cake.
So this year, we continue to be intentional in how we celebrate. I'm sure Aden loved being spoiled by gifts from his grandparents as we celebrated an early Christmas with Mommy's family last Saturday, but all day he also eagerly anticipated having a birthday party for Jesus. We had made a cake together, and he was again excited to blow out the candles and sing Happy Birthday. As I hear him recite (unprompted) various details of the Christmas Story, I like to think that he's beginning to understand what Christmas is all about.
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