First of all, thanks so much to everyone who has made another year at The League possible. I have a tremendous amount of fun blogging here with all the fantastic writers and commenters who grace these digital pages. I am constantly humbled and challenged by you all. I know we’ve had some rough waters these past few weeks, and I for one appreciate everyone sticking with us.
We’ve added some new writers and lost some old ones. And lost some new ones.
But before this sounds like too much of a New Year’s post rather than a Christmas post…Merry Christmas! I love what William had to say in his farewell post about this season:
We sing traditional songs, look at shimmering varicolored lights, eat delicious food, and visit old friends. If we can avoid being sentimental consumerists as we do this, so much the better, but let’s not be misanthropes. The season is filled with delights, and it’s nice that some Christmas traditions have been secularized enough that non-Christians can enjoy them too. Even if gratitude for the savior’s incarnation is limited to Christians, the festive spirit is good for all of us.
I personally don’t think the War on Christmas is the fault of anyone but the media. Most Christians happily embrace the bells and whistles of the season, while still immersing themselves in Advent and the coming of Christ. For me, at least, the ‘shimmering varicolored lights’ and the secular festivity all mix nicely with the sacred traditions. As a Christian, I’m actually not that bothered by the commercialism. It can be a little gaudy at times, but it’s more fun to just enjoy it, immerse ourselves in the spirit of it all, presents and lights and the Nativity. The month of purple masses. Christmas mass like a soft gold sigh.
And it’s all the more fun with kids. This is our first with two children and it’s already shaping up to be the best one ever.
Merry Christmas to all!
Merry ChristmasReport
Merry Christmas!Report
Not to rain on your parade, but I’m finding out that if kids are willing to believe that a fat, white guy manages to shove himself down chimneys and through hatched roofs all over the world on a single night to give every child numerous and very specific gifts, it also stands to reason with these kids that Santa has no budget; price is no object for Ol’ Saint Nick. And, in their defense, if we’re willing to perpetuate and stoke that myth of Santa, it seems that telling kids a guy capable of basically being omnipresent is somehow not omnipotent in terms of ability to provide any and all gifts is a bit contradictory, no?
Now we’re busy trying to figure out how to tell a six year old why he isn’t getting the $500 LEGO Death Star for Christmas. We’re gonna tell him that it’s only for kids 12 and up, and that Santa, no matter how benevolent, is not going to let kids play with toys that are not age-appropriate.
Strangely, our 8 year old daughter knows the tooth-fairy is a parental ruse, but still believes in Santa. Go figure.Report
Easy enough, the Santa Mythos comes with its own built in limiter; the naughty/nice paradigm. While coal sits firmly ensconced in the popular imagination at the lowest end of this spectrum it is easy and logical to explain to a credulous tot that highly expensive and desirable toys would require saint like juvenile behavior to earn them from the all knowing Mr. Claus.Report
North,
I’ll give you my address and you can come tell this little, cherubic angel who sometimes acts like a little shit that he’s been kind of bad. ‘Cause I can’t take the face he’ll give you when you tell him. It kills me.Report
Alas, Mark, one of the benefits of not having children of my own is that I can wickedly spoil the children of others and then hand them off to their parents when the sugar highs kick in. You should see the toys I buy for my nephews. Loud, industrial strength sound generating machines. I can actually see my brother’s soul shrivel when I hand them over to his sons.
In other words, I’m worse than an indulgent grandpa and I’m completely unrepentant.Report
A nice luxury, indeed.Report
My first thought was that any kid who believes in Santa isn’t going to be too versed in the concept of contradiction. Maybe when my three year old is six I will be eating these words.
Try a few minutes of Socratic questioning. If this doesn’t work give the kid ice-cream for breakfast and beat a path out of the room.Report
Have a great Christmas. We can all use a mixture of a little myth, magic ansd shopping at least once a year.Report
I hope your Christmas is as good as the one you’re giving to your kids.Report
“Myth, magic, and shopping…” I will most assuredly drink to that!Report
Merry Christmas Greg. Jaybird I think it will be. A good Christmas for the kids pretty much ensures a good Christmas for the parents.Report
Merry Christmas E.D.Report
merry Christmas, North!Report
Merry Christmas, sir!Report
Merry Christmas, Kyle!Report