Photos & ideas via Country Living. Mood board via me.
We aren't big holiday decorators around here. But I'd like to be! As soon as we aren't living in an apartment and I have a front porch to decorate, you better believe I am going to get all Halloweeny on it. How cute are those bats? Or that eyeball wreath? Or the ghost in the mirror? Or those mice on the stairs?! Maybe cute isn't the right word, but you know what I mean.
Now that we have a kid, celebrating holidays takes a little more thought. But what happens when neither parent believes in the meaning behind a specific holiday, namely Christmas? As Atheists, this is something my husband and I have talked a lot about. I love the decorating that goes along with Christmas. But not that whole religious part. And the Santa thing? The jury is still out on whether or not we'll teach that to Alice.
I want Alice to have a magical childhood full of special moments and family tradition. So I think we will create something around December 25th that reflects what is important to our little family. Giving. Helping. Sharing. Loving.
And then we'll probably throw a tree and some lights in there as well.
Craig and I are in the exact same boat. I want Gus to have traditions and I want Christmas to be as fun for him as it was for me. But, then I feel guilty taking only the material things from a religious holiday. We take Gus to pick out toys for kids his age to be donated every Christmas and we give Gus Christmas presents but so far we aren't doing imaginary figures...Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy. Sometimes I feel like I'm no fun, but most of the time I'm okay with it. :)
ReplyDeleteAh, Julie! I am so glad our little families are in the same boat. And I am pretty sure we've shelved the imaginary figures, too... I just know my family reads my blog and I wasn't ready for them to find out we're not teaching Alice about Santa from a post! Let's see if they read the comments, too! ;-)
DeleteFun decorations, I wish I was more 'into' holiday decorations too. I like to put out seasonal flowers and squash but I don't really 'make' any specific decorations. I think we may do the whole leaves between wax paper thing this year- that's festive right? :)
ReplyDeleteI don't really plan to teach my kids about imaginary things too but they learn them on their own. My daughter learned about Santa from daycare and other kids. They see it on TV and everywhere else so it can be hard to hide that. We are Catholic, but other parts of our family are not, so I try to avoid making holidays too much about religion and more about being a good person to the world, and helping others. I want them to have family memories of being together and doing things together, and not of a boring church service or imaginary people.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on it, and have fun decorating. Simple things like carving a pumpkin or baking cookies as a family (even if it isn't perfect) are more meaningful than a house full of standard decorations. I still have tree ornaments my husband and I made as kids.
When you were little, we did the church thing. It was ok. But as you got older, you loved the outdoors just as much as I did, so instead of going to church on Sunday, I would take you and your sister skiing in the winter. We would enjoy all the beauties of nature, bright blue skies, fresh snow and the crisp air. That was what I wanted you to remember.... and in my own way, I thought that was just as religious as attending an organized church service. Just enjoying the world and our surroundings.
ReplyDeleteAs for decorating for the holidays, I mostly did for Christmas and major holidays. Sometimes, I think I should have done more decorations for you to enjoy when you were kidlets.
Just do what seems natural to you and your husband. Love you, xo
Growing up SO SO SO religious and with the whole Santa thing makes you think a little more when doing stuff for your own child. Eddie HATES the idea of Santa Claus, but for me, having a birthday so close to Christmas, I love the traditions that I remember from being little... and the decorations! For our kiddos, we decorate and talk about the Santa, because of me. It is so exciting to see the reactions when they get some presents, but we don't do church and really only celebrate the commercial side of the holiday. (Eddie hates that). Oh well, Santa only brings one gift and then one from each parent and sibling. For me that was my justification that it wouldn't go overboard with the spending. I know that you guys will do what is best for your little family... don't be sucked into anything you don't feel is right (which I know you are too stuborn to do that!). I guess I don't really have a good point, but it is a lot of fun to decorate and see the lights! :) (AND have the hot chocolate with Baileys).
ReplyDeleteLOVE the hot chocolate with Bailey's. That is definitely a Mommy/Daddy holiday tradition! I miss you, Heidi!! xoxo.
DeleteI love Christmas and decorations. My family has always gotten quite into Christmas & so has my husband's, in fact he still gets a present from Santa each year! I'm really looking forward to decorating the house for Christmas & being 'the mum'. I agree with Alice though, that much more than the presents, it's the family memories and traditions you remember. I'm looking forward to starting our own traditions with Lulu.
ReplyDeleteI love all those Halloween decorations! Halloween is my very favorite holiday [and the day I met Devon!] It's always a fun season, but I bet it's so much more fun now with little Alice around. I made those felt bats a few years ago and still hang them up any year I can manage to find what box I stashed them in.
ReplyDeleteI definitely hear you about atheist parenting conundrums. Preserving the "magic" of the season without... misleading, for lack of better words, your children seems like such a fine line to totter. Just how far we take the Santa thing with our kids is something we haven't figured out yet, but I do hope our holidays still involve sitting around a fireplace or Christmas tree and watching Gremlins together :)