The moment when children realize that Santa isn't real is often a difficult one. Most of us remember with no small amount of embarrassment - but also a sense that that moment was when we lost our innocence. Part of the magic of Christmas as a child is to look wonderingly at a Christmas Eve night, hoping and praying that Santa is going to visit and that you're on the Good list. It's an innocence and magic we wish to preserve in our children for as long as possible, and to that end, here's a quick list of things to do to make Santa's visit appear all the more convincing: 1. Take a bite out of the mince pie / cookie! It's so simple, but so often forgotten. If your children leave food out for Santa, make sure you take a convincing bite. The same goes for any drinks left out - take a swig. Your kids will be delighted that Santa enjoyed their offering, and you'll get something tasty too. 2. Icing sugar footprints. All you need is a sieve and a white powder - icing sugar pre-mix is best for the job - and you've got the tools to make some convincing Santa footprints. Pour the powder into the sieve and sprinkle a route from the chimney to beneath the tree, just like Santa would walk in his snow-covered boots from Lapland. 3. Sign a couple of gifts "From Santa" A small touch but a nice one. While the majority of your gifts can say "from Mom and Dad", add in a couple that are signed by the man himself.
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There is no right and no wrong way to celebrate Christmas. At least, where Christmas is concerned you do not have to stay with the traditional ways. After all, one of the major messages of Christmas is peace and goodwill. It would be absolutely wrong to start introducing rules as to what constitutes an acceptable form of revelry, above and beyond those already laid down by the law of the land. As long as you stick to the laws which exist, your Christmas can take any form you deem acceptable.
That said, there is a reason that the traditions have become traditional. When the first Christmas mince pies were produced, it is likely that the baker who cooked them had no idea just how much a part of Christmas they would become in many countries. People eat them, however, because they like them. Equally, it is not essential to have a tree in your house for the Christmas period – but people do, and have done for many years it does give a certain festive cachet to the whole occasion.
The main thing to keep in mind about the festive period is that people are supposed to enjoy themselves, and this should not be controlled by an insistence on maintaining traditions. The one tradition that should always be upheld at Christmas is that people are kind to one another and find a way to get along, even with those people they would ordinarily not speak to. As for the rest of it, people will find their own way.
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It is a fact of human life that, from time to time, we grow distant from those who we love. There are several reasons for this. Things happen in our life that take us to different places, and we cannot cover so much ground. Many of us have a number of friends and acquaintances and cannot be in contact with all of them at the same time. Christmas can be useful in repairing some of the damage that this does, and this is a major reason why it is seen as being a time of togetherness.
Whatever we may think at a given time, no friendship or relationship needs to be considered completely broken if one or both parts of it feel that there is a chance of reconnection. There may be a lot of hurt there, but Christmas allows a focus on things that we thought were lost. It is a time when many people feel that there is a chance for forgiveness, for apologies and acceptance. Whatever we feel may have been lost, we can focus on bringing back the good times.
Of course, Christmas is only here for a month, or a few weeks, and then we have to refocus on the world without Christmas in it. This is when the true test of what has been rebuilt comes, and if we are not truly committed to making it happen then it can still fall away again. But if you feel that you would like to reconnect with someone you had lost contact with, Christmas is the time to make it happen.
Christmas Time
