Archive for December, 2009
Advent 2009: Resolution
Welcome, new visitor! Come on in. The Classic Housewife is currently undergoing some back end changes. In the meantime I'm re-posting some oldies and goodies. You may also want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
With Christmas Day only a few days past, the momentum and excitement that has been building for the last 4 weeks feels suddenly vacant. You may even feel a bit of a let down, especially if you’re unhappy with the way “it all went down” on Christmas Day. I know that in years past when we just dug in without so much as a nod to God for all his blessings, I was left feeling pretty depressed about it later. But even if you’re completely satisfied with how you spent your holiday and at the day’s end you felt full and happy and blessed… you might still feel a bit of sadness at it’s passing.
Even as a kid I was always sad to see it go, sad to see the decorations put away. As an adult, this is one thing I’m trying to avoid. Or if not avoid, at least limit a little. I don’t want to be sad, I don’t want my kids to be sad, because even though the holiday itself has come and gone, the REASON for the holiday is still here! Just like celebrating a loved one’s birthday, or our own, we may feel a small sadness to see an incredibly fun day end or to see our loved ones go home, but the birthday is still real, we’re still one year older!
I want to, I hope I do, make this connection for my children. To that end, when Christmas is over, we keep moving forward. We can keep watching Christmas movies and reading Christmas books. We have activities to keep doing, too. The beginning of the new year coming one week after Christmas is actually quite convenient since the birth of the infant savior marks a new beginning. Looking forward to New Year’s Day at the end of the week, the kids and I can talk about both the things we want to do in the upcoming year, as well as talking about having a new life in Christ, and continuing to further learn about why Jesus came to earth. Our oldest has already made a profession of faith, but her heart can still be cultivated as little seeds of truth are planted in the hearts of the younger two.
Of course we’ll talk about how New Year’s resolutions are just thoughts of things we’d like to do in the New Year, but making a list of resolutions together provides an opportunity to see the plans and desires of your children’s hearts, as well as giving an opportunity to encourage them in Godly and uplifting pursuits.
As you and your family head into the New Year this week, I encourage you not to feel disappointed or let down with the passing of the Christmas holiday, or the passing of the old year as I do. Instead I encourage you to rejoice in the gift of new life through Jesus Christ and in the gift of a new year ahead. I challenge you not to make resolutions that are trendy or fleeting, traditional resultions of this world, but search your heart, seek out that which God desires to change in your heart and commit to begin working on that - as we should often be doing.
Over the next two weeks our Christmas decorations will be put away, our books will be read less and less. Our movies and books stay out all year, though, and we often find ourselves watching and reading them throughout the rest of the year. The Christmas “feeling” may be fleeting and may pass away, but I remind myself of Isaiah 40:8 - “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.” Life will soon return to “normal,” and we’ll easily slip into our daily routines… but Jesus is alive and risen and, we must not forget, coming back again some day when we least expect it. The King is Coming!
May God bless you in the new year ahead!
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How We Fired Santa
Many of you know that I’d already decided to weed Santa from our Christmas traditions and celebrations. I hadn’t decided exactly how or what exactly I would do this year or if I’d make the full transition next year…well,..we did it. Here’s how:
1.) I sat down with the 4 year old and told him the story of Saint Nicholas in a very fun 4 year old kind of way. I asked him questions and answered his, and then transitioned into:
“That’s why we hang stockings and put things in the them, and the story of Santa is kinda based on him, too. It’s one of the reasons we give gifts, like Saint Nicholas did - except he gave people things they needed, and he didn’t tell anybody it was him!”
2.) I asked the 4 year old why we celebrate Christmas and what it was all about. I don’t remember his answer, but it made me laugh! I took him to the piano and showed him the nativity scene. I let him hold baby Jesus and as we cradled the little piece in our hands I told him about Christmas being the day that we celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
“But our sin, our bad things, were so bad we could never be right with God no matter what we did. So God sent his Son to do it for us. We thank God for sending his son to Earth like a little baby, so that he could grow up and teach us about God and then die on the cross to pay for all the sin, all the bad things, so that we could be right with God. We celebrate that part at Easter. We celebrate his birthday at Christmas. And what kinds of things do we have at birthday parties? Yes, friends! And family! Yes, and presents, that’s right. And cake? Should there be cake? Okay, we can do a cake then. So on Christmas morning we’ll do that then, okay? We’ll get up, we’ll put baby Jesus in the manger, we’ll have family and friends and presents and cake and we’ll celebrate Jesus’ birthday.”
3.) After that I talked to all three of them (because the girls already knew the truth) and we talked about our Christmas morning celebrations and traditions, and why we do them, and how they do or don’t help us celebrate Jesus’ birthday. I asked them if there was any reason to do Santa, to encourage Little Prince to think it was real. They couldn’t think of any reasons, and it was agreed that Santa could come or go if there the same number of presents under the tree and they wouldn’t really mind. I’ve been telling you - it’s all about the stuff, people! But that’s and entirely separate issue.
4.) We talked about the details and logistics of Christmas morning. What Christmas morning will look like this year since we’ll be at my mom’s house and we’re opening all our other presents on Christmas Eve. What Christmas morning will look like next year when we’re at our house and we open everything on Christmas morning. We agreed that very little will actually change because there will basically be the same number of gifts under the tree (there just won’t be one marked “From Santa” ) and there will be still be a stocking, they will just know that I put the things in it. Plus, since we brought the 3 Gifts of the Magi back after a two year hiatus, we’re basically trading one santa gift for THREE magi gifts - which translates to a really good deal as far as the kids are concerned. 
5.) Last but not least we talked about what other people might think about it, and what they might say. We thought up some reactions people might have and things to say in return. For example,
Q: “Don’t you miss the gifts from Santa?” A: “No, because we have the 3 gifts of the Magi - want to see what we got?
Q: “Don’t you miss Santa?” A: “No, not really. Christmas isn’t really about Santa anyway.”
Truly, we spent about 20 minutes on it. I wanted to get their attention but not try to hold it beyond their attention span. It went so well. Of course it helped that the girls already knew the truth. I’m not sure what the 4 year old did or did not catch, I’m not even really sure what he was expecting for Christmas morning or if he will notice or not if no one mentions Santa. I DO know that whatever we do this year, he will most likely remember to some extent next year. So we’re trailblazing, paving the way for the new traditions. And a weight is lifted off of my shoulders. I feel so relieved, the kids are still VERY excited. They’re having the time of their lives down here at my mom’s house, visiting with their new cousins and touring and sight-seeing.
I’m really looking forward to Christmas morning. Since we’re opening all the other presents on Christmas Eve, I plan on spending time with the kids before breakfast on our nativity, reading from Luke and opening the 3 Gifts of the Magi. The whole thing will be very oriented on the birth of Christ, with no distractions. And I love that. It’s almost enough to make me want to do presents on Christmas Eve EVERY year. But we shall see. ; )
And that’s how we gave Santa the pink slip. He didn’t fuss too much. ; ) The kids certainly didn’t. Oh sure, we’ll probably see him in a movie every now and then, and probably sing along with a song on occasion. But from now on we have hereby realeased “Santa” from the burden of delivering gifts to the Oliver children. And we’re good.
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Advent 2009: Culmination
Christmas week arrives with a buzz, you can feel it in the air. Advent traditions and celebrations have been building to this point and it’s here they all converge, meeting at the manger where the angels sing “Glory to God in the highest!”
It would be too easy to reach this point, exhausted from the month’s festivities, and let Christmas week take you for a ride. Or just as easy, you could find yourself slipping into the role of Advent drill sergeant, and hear yourself saying things like “we have to do this first and then that,… no it has to be here…what was that you were singing? Santa Claus indeed is not coming to town now you go over there and put that baby in that manger and be joyful!”
I think I’ve experienced both the “wheee!” and the “arg!!” of those. We get caught up in those things, becuase either way, we’re still focused on things. We need to remind ourselves that there are no specific commandments in the bible that tell us exactly how we’re supposed to celebrate the birth of God’s son, or even that we’re supposed to celebrate the birth of God’s son. I’m not saying there is something wrong with it, obviously, I think we naturally feel drawn to celebrate those things that bring us joy. But when we celebrate something like say, an anniversary… we don’t find ourselves obsessing over every little detail, or insisting on the exact same traditions, such as we do over Christmas holiday traditions. (To be fair, some of us have set-in-stone traditions we like to keep for other holidays, too.) The point is, if we’re going to celebrate and enjoy the gift of Jesus’ birth so long ago.. let’s celebrate and enjoy it, shall we?
With the arrival of Christmas week, we’ve also “arrived” down here at my mother’s house, where we’ll be celebrating Christmas with my side of the family. The fact that we are not home, that alone is “shaking things up” as we depart from the tradition of the last 5 yrs or so of having the family gather at our house Christmas morning for the present opening.
Another BIG departure from tradition - tradition that has been in place for AGES or at least for all of my 31 years… we’ll be opening gifts on Christmas EVE. This, from the mother who would not allow us to open any gifts before Christmas morning EVER. Not even one. But since some of our family have to get back on the road on Christmas Day we’ll be opening gifts and having Christmas Dinner the day before.
As we’ve packed to come down for this visit, there are many little things I have asked myself, trying to determine which traditions I want to try to keep and which ones I’m willing to put on hold for this year. I ultimately decided that there were two main traditions that I really didn’t want to give up. On Christmas morning I want to get up and put baby Jesus in the manger first off, and then I want to open our “3 Gifts of the Magi” with the kids and go through the nativity story in Luke. Apart from these two things, I’m willing and ready to shake things up a bit.
When it came down to it, I decided that the things that mattered most (as far as things and traditions go) were the two that helped us most to have a quiet moment together with our kids and God and thank him for the wonderful Gift of Jesus. After that, I want to simply ENJOY the other gifts God has given me. My family members.
My prayer for you this week is that wherever you are, whomever you are sharing the holiday with, whatever the weather, however many gifts are or aren’t under the tree, regardless of your place in life I pray this week would be filled with many blessings, with many fellowships with loved ones and friends, and with the love of Christ so abundantly that it would overflow to those around you.
Celebrate the son, give thanks unto the Lord, keep watch and look forward to “the day”… The King is Coming!
- Read this post by my friend Kristi, who shares how their “lack” of tradition is their only true Christmas tradition.
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All That and a Candy Cane Too
Reposting this from BooMama’s Christmas Tour of Homes a couple of years ago. (Which of course is now The Nester’s seeing as how the torch has been passed, but two years ago it was BooMama’s!) ; ) I’ve been meaning to get some pictures up from this year but you know what? See everything down below there? We still have all that stuff. Except I have a new tree! A new, less Charlie Brownish tree. And of course I do have a few new things that I collected over the last two years. And maybe I will eventually get some pictures up. Or maybe I won’t. And in case I won’t… enjoy this in the meantime! Merry Christmas, y’all!
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Tis the season and you can tell, we’ve decked the halls, decked them well. We’ve set the tree, donned the lights, hung the garland from the heights. Our Advent Candle Wreath does glow, the nativity scene Christ’s birth does show. And as the day draws close and near, our hearts are filled with Christmas cheer. So come on in, both young and old, and have a seat — for BooMama’s Christmas Tour of Homes.
Hi! Come in, can I take your coat? We really get into Christmas here. You didn’t notice the door? Oh, well, check it out. (Click on the thumbnails.)
Or perhaps you came in the back door…
Well, no matter. If you’ll just continue through the kitchen to the dining room, I’ll get you a nice cup of homemade cocoa. The kids made it, they had so much fun! And boy, it sure does save a lot on the grocery bill! Well, the cocoa bill anyway. My grandmother made that Nativity Quilt on the wall. It’s actually Little Prince’s but I love to use it as a decoration at Christmas time. Shh, he doesn’t know.
What’s that? The candle on the table? A friend just gave that to me! I love candles. That one is called Christmas Eve by Yankee Candles. It’s smells SOOO good. And then I have more candles. And more candles. And back up candles for when those run out– and that’s just in the kitchen! Did I mention that I do a lot of my holiday decorating with candles??
One of the things I like about this house is that it is so open. You can see the whole living area from where you’re sitting. There’s the garland over the little hallway, the Christmas tree and stockings in the living room. Oh, look, there’s Big Daddy’s laptop on the arm of the chair.. I hope the kids don’t knock it over. We’ll just be really careful with it.
In addition to crafts, we also read stories. My favorite is The Christmas Lizard. Two thumbs up in my book!
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Advent 2009: Anticipation
When my brother and I were young, there were times it seemed Christmas wasn’t arriving fast enough, that it was taking ENTIRELY too long and we just couldn’t POSSIBLY wait any longer! We’d moan and bemoan the slow arrival of the day (and the gifts) and our mom would tell us, naturally: “You have nothing to do but wait - the 25th will get here on the 25th, no faster no slower.”
I think my children are beginning to feel the anticipation as well. It’s somewhere around the 15th when December is half over, when Christmas is only ten days away, that the squeeze really sets in. I just can’t wait any longer! Celebrating Advent doesn’t make that part any different. In fact, one of the goals of Advent is to heighten the anticipation. The tricky part of course, is keeping our priorities straight, modeling that for our children and passing that on to them. To build anticipation not toward the gifts but toward the moment when we finally place baby Jesus in the manger, when we finally complete our Advent candle wreath and then yes, when we finally see what lay hidden inside those wrapped packages. 1, 2, 3.
Crafting Anticipation Toward the Celebration of Christ
1. Leave Jesus Out - for now. Whether you do a traveling nativity or whether you set it up all in one place - resist the urge to include baby Jesus until Christmas morning. If you’d like to set up a second nativity (with or without Jesus), by all means go ahead! THEN… talk about it. Work toward building the anticipation, point out that the scene is incomplete until you add baby Jesus on Christmas morning, remind them of why his birth was so special, etc.
2. Use your Advent candle wreath to it’s full advantage. It’s so easy to spend two minutes reading a few verses, saying a quick prayer and then moving on to something else. We’ve been there, done that. Spend a few minutes more, reviewing what each of the candles represent, asking questions, praying more fervantly and specifically and reminding them of which candle you will light the next week and when you will light the Christ candle. I believe the Christ candle is considered optional on the candle wreath, but I’m encouraging you - take that option!
3. Layer your traditions. We begin decorating our house at the beginning of Advent by setting up our tree. We continue to pull our decorations and set them up over the next few days. We don’t have too many so we plan a couple of craft making projects to make some additional decorations later in the month. Christmas presents begin to go under the tree as they arrive and are wrapped. I’ve been called crazy, but kids don’t get into them. They just stare at them. As our traveling nativity converges in one spot, as our projects get completed, as our service projects get done, as our gifts pile under the tree, the building up of anticipation is a very natural and inevitable by-product.
And of course as I have been saying all along - Advent is also about remembering that Jesus came, and building anticipation for the day when he is coming again! This is by far the hardest part for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to include it by saying it. But it can be hard to really get excited about it and have it make an impact and a make a difference on the way we live our lives now, knowing that he could come back at any moment and that even if he didn’t come back before we died that we should live our lives as if he would.
How do I get that? How do we get there?
I don’t think it’s something that we get by hanging lots of Jesus ornaments on our tree. I think that comes out of year-round training of the heart. Something that we are/will continue working toward as we continue to study the bible and grow our hearts (mine included.) And yet it is through these realizations that I am convicted by how much I really fall down on this. I am completely humbled, both by the responsibility that I have been given to raise my children but also by the overwhelming reality and weight of God’s sovereign plan. To feel, for just a moment, the truth that this life of mine that I get caught up in is not all about me, not about me at all, that there is a bigger plan, that we are all moving toward. It humbles me. Oddly enough, it’s just enough to help me focus through the clutter of the season, to meditate on the real reason for celebrating.
My prayer for my household this season, and for yours, is that we would be able to obtain (even if just for a moment but hopefully more than that) a moment of clarity. May God bless you as you celebrate the birth of our savior, and eagerly await the day of his return.
The King is Coming!
- Browse last year’s Advent posts.
- Read the other posts in this year’s series.
- Check out another “layering” tradition - the Jesse Tree. Another good website about the Jesse Tree and view images of other Jesse trees.
- A good article I found online about the Anticipation of Advent
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You’d Better Watch Out, You’d Better Not Cry…
I’m going to tell you right off the bat that some of you are going to BOO me over this post. And some of you may unsubscribe. Some of you, though, may actually find it quite interesting…
I’m weeding Santa out of Christmas at the Oliver house.
There. I said it.
Consider this:
~St. Nicholas Day is December the 6th not even on Dec 25th; Dec. 6th is day when the Catholic church traditionally honor(ed/s) St. Nicholas by giving in kind as he freely gave to those in need. Somehow St. Nick got linked to Christmas Day on December 25th - I haven’t found that one yet, but I HAVE learned…
~The tradition of St. Nick was brought to America by Vikings, Spanish & Dutch settlers - the tradition had spread to other countries in Europe. The Puritans and Separatists did NOT bring the tradition with them, since both groups took a dim view of Saints. Obviously the tradition had morphed a bit as it spread to other countries and then to America. Ironically, since the pilgrims were not practicing the holiday, this actually allowed it to change in the hands of the immigrant celebrators, rather then keeping it intact with it’s original focus.
~St. Nick himself was “morphed” from a priest to a “dutch-like” elf much later by Washington Irving’s “Knickerbocker History of New York” in 1809 in heavily Dutch-influenced New York. His new image was further transformed and sealed by “Children’s Friend” in 1821 and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in 1823 (and since then Santa and his posse has grown to include Rudolph, elves and the like by additional fictional works of fancy.)
~By the 1920’s Santa looked as he does today and pretty much all that was left of Saint Nick was the name. In the 1930’s Santa was permanently melded into American culture with the beginning of a long-running series of Coca-Cola ads featuring Santa Claus himself. It was no large leap from there to the (inevitable?) commercialization of Santa and Christmas.
Whereas Saint Nicholas was most definitely a real person, who by all evidence did in fact live his life by giving and loving others because of his love for God and Jesus.. and while “St. Nick” may at its very earliest point been derived from the story of this man.. “St. Nick’s” whole ‘existence’ is based on satirical and fictional tales early on, and commercialism, advertising, and Hollywood later on, and has very little (if anything at all) in common with the Saint Nicholas of the Catholic church.
While I once said the same thing, I don’t see how we (society, Christians, anybody) can make the claim that we can tell our kids Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas and is nice and good because it’s all about giving like St. Nick gave - when Santa has so very little basis on the original tradition. This is something I’ve struggled with/over for years and has really become quite clear with further research this year.
We’ve been celebrating Advent for at least 5 years now and it’s something that we’ve really enjoyed doing as a family,.. even though we still open presents on Christmas Day and still have a couple of secular traditions, watch a few Christmas movies with Santa in them. I make a point with my kids to start laying the foundation early on that Santa is just a symbol, a symbol for the secular Christmas, and that’s about it. While I am not Catholic and don’t agree with the worshiping of saints, I do believe we can learn from others who have lived their lives well, and as such, I do include stories and books about the REAL Saint Nick during our Advent celebrations.
Of course the real “star” of Christmas is Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, not under a tree but laying under a twinkling sky with one shiny Star of Bethlehem overhead. The real story of Christmas is how this tiny baby was God’s fulfillment of salvation, our Savior come to make right with God things we could have never made right on our own. The real “happy ending” to the story (because you can’t just read the beginning of the story and leave out the end) is that the price paid in that last moment on the cross when Jesus’ breathing stopped in sacrificial offering was sufficient to cover the unimaginable offense of sin once and for all. And then, too, when death did not hold it’s grasp over Him but God’s sovereignty over all was displayed as Jesus emerged from the tomb, victorious. And yet the story STILL is not over, as the Earth moves ever forward to one last battle, one last victory over sin and death and the devil himself. One last victory, once and for all.
That, is the true joy of Christmas, the true focus of Advent. It is more than enough joy and glory and celebration and exultation for our holiday celebration.
Santa suit…just simply not required.
(Main source for St Nick history/info: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/ Image: Thomas Nast, Harper’s Weekly, January 1, 1881, Val Berryman Collection from the same website.)
P.S. I penned the majority of this article in a comment on this post, which obviously then inspired the one you just read.
Update: Read more about how we fired Santa HERE.
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Advent 2009: Execution
Obviously, the operation of that word in this case is not “kill it!” but instead, “making it happen.” Last week, I kicked off Advent with a bang of a post (I hope) in which I shared why we celebrate Advent. Today I’d like to share a few things we do in our house to help our Advent celebration succeed in preparing our hearts for worship on Christmas Day.
I’d like to say, first, that if you’re picturing us all getting up early in the morning for some elaborate worship ceremony, that’s not the way it goes. Sorry to disappoint. ; ) On the other hand, if you do, that’s great.
My main goal for Christmas morning is simply to love God, most. More than the presents, more than the Christmas carols, more than the family time and the Christmas ham… my goal is that we set our heart’s affections on the greatest gift of all more than anything else.
I’m not going to deny that our attention is on the presents when we’re doing presents and on our meal when we’re eating our meal. So HOW EXACTLY does one go about “keeping our affections on Christ” when our attention is on the shiny wrapping paper? I do have a few simple things we do every year to help keep our hears in the right place.
A Classic Housewife Advent
- Weekly Scripture Readings/Advent Candle - We’ve never actually purchased an Advent candle wreath, though someday I would like to. Each year we set up a different collection of candles and decorations to use, and each year I find a set of Advent readings online (there are many different passages you can use for each candle, so readings vary from one to the next.) The act of reading about Christ’s birth for weeks before Christmas Day reminds us all that even as we watch presents pile up under the tree, Jesus is why we’re celebrating.
- Adornaments - I’m not sure these are still available for sale anywhere, but we picked them up years ago and we use them every year. For 12 days before Christmas we take one ornament, read the passage inside and hang it on the tree. Each ornament displays a different attribute of Jesus - he is our shepherd, the vine, the living water. I love these for that reason. Not only does it help us focus on Jesus as the reason for the season, but they also help us to see Jesus for all that He is. If you can’t find these anywhere, it would be really easy to make your own set of ornaments with Jesus’ attributes for this purpose.
- Daily Activities/Advent Calendar - This year I chose to keep it really simple. Most days are filled with reading stories and watching movies that are about Christmas and remind us (again and again) to celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day - even if loosely. Other days are spent making crafts, activities and service projects, with which we can use a simple scripture or passage to connect with the Advent season. For example, driving around and looking at Christmas lights is a favorite holiday activity. We can either do that mindlessly, or we can let it remind us that Jesus is the light, and that we’re supposed to let his light shine through us also. Simple things like this make for great family memories, memories about making the most of Christmas.
In addition to these 3 things, our Christmas decor echoes our Advent reflections. You will find our meager collection full to the brim with angels, shepherds, nativity scenes, crosses and more. Through these things, and the books and movies, conversations often begin and teaching moments flicker through the minds of my little ones. Ever alert for once such moment, simple questions, oft repeated and rephrased, are the best tools for shaping our children’s attitudes toward the holiday season. Through these brief discussions you catch glimpses of the way their little hearts and minds work. You can answer their wonderings and fill in the blanks and spaces. You can redirect their joy and giddiness at the appearance of a new shiny present under that tree with a simple, “I know! And we’ll open it on Christmas morning when we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus!” (or any such phrase.)
In short it is not any one of these things alone that creates an Advent celebration in our home but it is all these things together, working in tandem, to wire an immovable joy to our very bones.
Jesus is born! The Savior Has Come!
My challenge to you, my friends, is to spend this week making meaningful Christmas memories with your children. If you do not already have an Advent calendar, you can still create a schedule for the remaining days of the season. Be careful not to overplan. Indeed, the Advent celebrations can easily become the focus. Use it, instead, as a tool to guide your family in worship and joy over the next 18 days to the manger destination on Christmas morning, at the feet of the Savior babe. God bless!
For more information on our family traditions above, browse these previous Advent posts:
- Our Advent Calendar, Advent Wreath, Traveling Nativity & Other Traditions
- Using Decorations to Add Symbolism & Meaning
Each year we make our own Advent calendar. Check out these online resources for your own DIY project:
- Countdown to Christmas on About.com
- Online Advent Calendars at ThriftyFun.com
- Advent & Christmas Crafts at CatholicMom.com
This article is a part of the Advent 2009: The King is Coming!
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