Traditions
Growing up, Santa would leave unwrapped gifts beneath the stockings hung by our mantle. He’d also fill the stockings with unwrapped stuff, but the gifts that were simply too big — the Castle Grayskulls and Omega Supremes — would be parked under either my stocking or my brother’s. That was how we knew what Santa brought to whom.
The presents under the tree were from our parents and other gift-givers from family and friends, but they rarely lived up to whatever Santa left for us. We’d go to church after opening our presents, then for dinner we’d go to one of my mother’s siblings or host it at our home (depending on whose turn it was).
Christmas nowadays is much different.
Santa doesn’t leave my kids presents below their stockings. The presents he leaves are inside of their stockings… that’s it. The big gifts are from my wife and myself, as well as from other family members. They are wrapped under the tree, much like they were for me as a kid. We don’t go to church. We stay at home for dinner, enjoying a quiet meal together (occasionally with family if they are in town).
It took me a long time to let go of the tradition I had growing up, of Santa leaving unwrapped gifts for me in multiple places. My wife didn’t have that tradition. Hers is the one we adopted for our home. I struggled with this new tradition at first, but I have come to really enjoy it.
I’m a big fan of rituals and routines. Traditions are a version of those.
I believe you need have balance between things in your life that are certain — routines, rituals, traditions — and things that are uncertain. If you have too much certainty, then you leave no room for opportunities to grow. If you have too much uncertainty, then you run the risk of being overwhelmed by fear of the unknown.
You need to be open to letting go of old traditions so that you can embrace new traditions. It may take some time to do both of those things but the reward on the other side is worthy of the struggle.
