We have reached the last month of the year, a year that for many of us has brought changes, uncertainties, hopes and wishes for a brighter future in the year ahead. We are in the middle of the winter holidays, holidays associated with light, giving, hope, and good will towards all. We strive, in the midst of our own uncertainty, to convey this hope to our children, for the young children need a time of celebration and our older children need to have hope for their future.
The holidays in December revolve around the traditions of bringing light into this darkest time of the year and the celebrations give us a chance to gather together with those closest to us. It is during this time that we pause to glance behind us not only at the past year, but also to our own history. We look ahead, with hope to a year ahead that is healthy, happy and hopeful, and a future for our children that we can be proud of giving them, that allows them to reach their dreams and live in a world that is safe, that promotes freedom and unity.
TRADITIONS
The holiday traditions are passed down in families and are as varied as the families and holidays celebrated. The most important thing is that the holidays contain the special memories created by our ancestors and those traditions keep family members alive in our memories. Many of the memories are sensory oriented and evoke immediate recollections of past celebrations. The sweet smell of holiday sugar cookies, the sizzling of Hanukkah latkes cooking, the delightful visual of a green Christmas tree decorated with ornaments that have been used for years, the sound of holiday songs retelling the original stories the holidays are based on and the opportunity to give to those we love most and, of course, the light brought into our homes during the dark days of winter are what the holidays represent. Each family’s traditions are what make the holiday unique and memorable to that particular family and including these brings a sense of completion to the family celebration.
TOGETHERNESS
The gathering together of family members is what makes the winter holidays such a special time of year. Families travel to each other’s homes near and far to connect and keep the traditions alive. Young children are enveloped into the traditions with explanations from older siblings, cousins and relatives as stories are retold and songs sung. The familiar family decorations bring a sentimental touch as children remember the ornaments they made at school during different stages in their lives and when children make new decorations in school, they will enjoy creating the new decorations because they know that they will become part of the family decorating fun.
Part of family togetherness may include preparing special recipes together with children gaining more responsibility, as they get older. Children can begin by stirring batter and eventually they can measure ingredients, grate potatoes, and decorate cookies. When children become more capable they can prepare recipes for holiday dinner, taking on the responsibility of recreating favorite recipes.
Togetherness is also created when family members conspire to select gifts for each other. Children thinking of a perfect gift for their parents, grandparents and siblings, parents trying to figure out the perfect gift for their children and excited children creating “wish lists” begin the holiday excitement. Some families have gift exchanges with each member picking one other member to surprise with a gift while others select special gifts for each member of the family. Selecting the special gift and watching the surprise and joy on loved ones faces is a great way to get that warm holiday feeling.
INCLUSIVITY
The winter holidays are a special time of year and part of the fun is to enjoy the variety of holiday traditions celebrated in our culture. To promote an inclusive climate, we can respect and honor the many ways we celebrate the winter opportunities to bring light into our lives. We have the ability to make all feel accepted and respected by recognizing that there are so many ways to celebrate. It is fun to share celebrating with friends whose traditions might differ from our own and we can teach our children something in the process.
Some winter celebrations are: Bodhi Day, Saint Nicholas’ Day, Saint Lucia’s Day, Christmas, Las Posadas, Pancha Ganapati, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day and Kwanzaa. Every culture has a way to welcome light into our homes and hearts during the dark days of winter and most include special food, decorations, music and traditions. With these and more to choose from, we can find so many ways to find something positive to share with our children.
