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I’m not in the least bit religious, but I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year. And I don’t just love the eating/drinking/gifts aspect of the holiday, I love it all, including the Christmas story and the carols.

This time last year I was helping at my son Harry’s preschool and the teacher asked the children – ranging in age from two to four years old – what Christmas was about. Answers included the inevitable “presents” and then rambled through Father Christmas, snow, reindeer, Rudolf, chocolate, even Christmas trees and lights. Not one child mentioned Jesus. And I was horrified.

But how do I teach my son about the true meaning and history of Christmas when I don’t actually subscribe to the religious aspect myself? I make the holiday about traditions.

Sharing the Nativity Story

Before Harry was even born, I bought a book by Nicholas Allan called Jesus’s Christmas Party. It’s a sweet, charming and funny book that tells the story of the nativity, but in a way even the youngest child can understand. Plus, it’s magical. The last page never fails to fill my eyes with tears. Reading it to Harry for the first time in early December guarantees he’ll be asking for it for the rest of the month.

Going to Church

We never go to church – we didn’t even get married in church – but at Christmas, I love it. We go to the Blessing of the Crib on Christmas Eve. We sing carols. I cry at the tiny, piping singing voices of the children and then we have a mince pie and go home, full of joy.

Counting Down with an Advent Calendar

A new tradition we’ve introduced this year is an activity advent calendar. Write down 24 activities to do with your children from 1 December to Christmas Eve. They can be simple – watching a Christmas film together – or even things you were going to do anyway, like buying and decorating the tree. Not only have I made one for Harry, I’ve made one for myself.

Why Teach The Traditions of Christmas?

Why do I want Harry to be involved in the religious aspects of the holiday when I don’t fully subscribe to them?

It’s not that I need him to believe (although if he does, that’s fine with me too), my goal is to help him associate Christmas with not just presents and chocolate, but with hope, wonder, love and joy.

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