Well we’ve come to the last month of the year December and the holiday season is upon us. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year for spending time with family and friends.
Perhaps for some, December becomes a more mindful time to be kinder to those in need while being grateful for what we have. On the other hand, December can be the most frantic month of the year trying to squeeze in all the holiday tasks such as: making wreaths, sending cards, writing
notes, illuminating homes, searching for the right Christmas tree, decorating that tree and home, baking cookies and creating special dinners. As we all know the list can go on and on.
Though I truly enjoy all of the above, to me the most important part of December is the building of family memories and traditions. I love to see what other families do in celebrating holidays. I found a truly special air of festivities and traditions while in Europe. You can go back to my last years Dec blog to read about it.
Whether any family has a lot of family members, no family members, a lot of money, or very little money you can always create your own very special day of the year! As you and your family grows yearly with special Christmas traditions I’d like to address several symbols of Christmas
we see each and every year. The first is the Christmas tree. It is believed that people decorated trees back as early as the 8th century with it all starting in Germany. The tree represents everlasting life and hope for the return of Spring, others believe it represents the eternal life of Goodness. What a wonderful reminder to your Toddlers as you select and decorate your tree to remember the traditions from which it all started. As the tree become the focal point of gathering for gifts and creative, thoughtful decorations, remind your toddlers of the imagination that can go along with decorating, trying to symbolize the meaning of LOVE, EXCHANGE and SHARING. I always try to post on social media crafts to enjoy with your
Toddlers at the Holidays. If you read about the meaning of Christmas you will find it is: “An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is observed primarily on December 25th as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.” It resonates the message of LOVE, MERCY, and COMPASSION.
So to all the Christians families reading this blog I say “Merry Christmas!” To others I wish you a joyous holiday season!
Until next month,
Marsha, Matt, and Mattie