My daughter and I do the usual cookie baking and we also contribute to a "Toys for Tots", coat drive or a "Community Giving Tree" project, and every year my daughter does the annual "Santa Run" with the fire department her dad is a member of.
But if I had to pick a favorite of my own, it would have to be our "Santa Key" tradition.
When my sons were little, I got divorced from their dad and we moved to an apartment. The boys were concerned that Santa would not be able to get in for his visit, as we did not have a fireplace nor a chimney for this purpose. The thought of "leaving the door unlocked" was out of the question as the neighborhood was not the best nor the safest.
So I got this idea to search in antique shops for a large old key. I finally found one, (pictured above) and I attached a beautiful fancy tassel to it (I had to replace the tassel years ago and it now has a large wire ribbon bow.) I found an old velvet jewelry box and placed the key inside for storage.
I mailed it to the kids at our new apartment-(with a North Pole return address)- in the beginning of December, with instructions from the "Big Guy" himself to leave the key for him by the door on Christmas Eve so he could leave them a little something. It immediately calmed their concerns and excited them so much! They did exactly what "Santa" asked and left it by the door for him on Christmas Eve. That was the first year we used it
Every year after that, and when my daughter was old enough to do it, on Christmas eve, we would go through the ritual: put the baby Jesus in the manger, leave the cookies and milk for Santa, sprinkle magic oats on the grass for the Reindeer and leave the "Santa Key" outside by the door so he could let himself in. "Santa" would leave the key next to the empty cookie plate when he was finished and the kids would place it back in the box for the following year.
This worked fine, until my oldest being precocious at 8 years old, figured out that the key did not match the lock-so I added a "Magic Christmas Key" myth - that only Santa could get the key to work and no one else could use it to get into our apartment. Not even me or daddy. (I wanted to get a few more years of holiday magic for him and for his younger brother to enjoy).
We still have the original key and use it as an ornament on our tree now, and I occasionally make the keys and give them as gifts for friends with little guys. The key has become our symbol of growth-of the "unlocking" of unique gifts, and the sharing with other of all the goodness inside of ourselves- not just at holidays, but all year.
I know that there are some that will argue that these Santa stories are all lies-and we should not lie to kids. I don't agree with that entirely. While I don't think we should overtly lie to or deceive children, I look at the stories-religious and non-religious- the mythology and history of St Nicholas (Santa), and of all the traditions, in all the different cultures of the world, and I see them all as an important part of a child's development- a way to re-enforce their own good qualities & the spirit of the season as well as remembering the reason we celebrate it. I see these stories and traditions as a way to bring life and deeper meaning to the imaginations of children.
I was about 11 when I found out that Santa was a myth. After I did, I was disappointed and I cried. I felt that a part of me wasn't there any more, but mostly, I afraid I wouldn't get any more presents. My father took me aside and asked me to not tell my brother-(he is almost 5 years younger than I am.) He told me that believing is the best time of a child's life, and he wanted my brother to have that magic for a few more years. I then went from dissappointment to being "in on the secret" and it changed my outlook entirely. I liked being "Secret Santa" and that transition helped me to better understand the meaning of Christmas on a deeper level.
I wholeheartedly agree with my father on this point: believing in mythology and fantasy when we are children is a way to keep hope in our hearts and understanding in our minds as we grow. Its a way for us to relate to each other and begin to understand all the symbolism that is all around us. Its also a way for us to remember that we are limited only by our own imaginations, because it is there, that all things are possible.
What are some of your family's favorite traditions?
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