For kids of all ages, Christmas time is probably the happiest time of the year. Christmas means colorful packed gifts under a Christmas. Christmas means getting out the sled for a ride down the hill, playing in the snow, building a snowman, having a snowball fight, etc. Christmas is all about Santa Claus coming down the chimney, bringing gifts, and placing those gifts on stockings hanging across the fireplace. Although Santa’s unbelievable scene on Nelibeth’s book, Is It Santa?, took a different turn in events, still, author Nelibeth Plaza brought to life the much-beloved Santa and how Christmas is an important occasion for children.
What is Christmas?
Christmas is the much-celebrated Christian tradition celebrated every 25th of December to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. It is a worldwide cultural and religious event that probably has the most prominent commercial phenomena. So significant is the event that even non-Christians would join in the spirit of celebration. Some of the customs practiced include buying and decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, and Christmas meals and parties.
The image of the long white-bearded Santa Claus in his red coat further boosted the popularity of Christmas time as the most favorite holiday. Santa Claus, also called Jolly Ol’ Saint Nicholas or Old Saint Nick, Kriss Kringle, or Father Christmas is the character embodiment of the Christmas spirit: kindness, joy, and giving. The name Sint Nikolaas or Sinter Klaas is Dutch for Saint Nicholas. Hence, the name Santa Claus. It is said that the legend of Santa Claus is about the story of a monk named St. Nicholas, who was born in Turkey somewhere in 280 A.D. The monk was known for giving away the richness that he inherited. He traveled along the countryside, helping the sick and the poor along the way.
Christmas and the Kids
Christmas is for people of all ages, but it is especially for children. Parents and families would go all out in making the occasion special for their children. Families from generation to generation spun their own tradition out of the occasion. A Christmas tradition can be making Christmas decorations. Children are usually assigned to hang Christmas ornaments on the Christmas tree, put up the socks or stockings on the fireplace, or set up the window decorations. Either way, kids loved to be part of making the event a memorable one for the family by making their house conducive and in the right mood for the Christmas spirit.
Another Christmas tradition is cooking and baking Christmas meals. It is another activity where kids of all ages can join in. For the bigger kids, they can be assigned to the stove cooking the hot dinner meals. The younger ones can be involved with making, baking, and decorating Christmas cookies or pastries. Kids find delight in cutting and shaping cookies into Christmas shapes and symbols such as reindeers, candy canes, Christmas trees, the Gingerbread man, or any shapes and symbols they interpret and relate with Christmas as a holiday.
Singing Christmas songs, or “caroling,” is another Christmas tradition. A typical scenario is the family gathering around the fireplace, singing famous Christmas songs or carols such as Jingle Bells, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, etc. Caroling is also about a group of kids, or adults, coming together, going from house to house, singing Christmas carols in return for cash donations to fund a program they’re representing, receiving free food, or just singing for free.
Building a snowman in front of the house, out on the lawn, is one of the kids’ favorite Christmas traditions. It is a fun activity to do despite being wet or cold, and everyone is making an effort to make sure that the snowman is sturdy. From rolling the snow to different shapes and sizes that make up the snowman’s body to designing the snowman’s face, building a snowman is a fun activity that endears to kids of all ages. They would dress up the snowman with a tie, scarf, and a hat, complete with buttons that sometimes make up for the eyes. The hands would be sticks, and the nose would be carrots. Before anyone knows it, the snowman is done.
Indeed, Christmas is the happiest time of the year, especially for the kids. Despite the cold weather, there’s a certain warmth that makes Christmas the kids’ favorite holiday. After all, is there any other holiday on earth that has all of these wonderful, heartwarming traditions on just a single occasion?
Oliver’s Twist 