What Christmas Means to Our Family

Christmas.

December, presents, gatherings.  That's what Christmas meant to me when I was young.  I had no idea what is the true meaning of Christmas.  Christmas is just another Public Holiday in December and if we do have Christmas gatherings with my extended family, I will receive presents!  That was really how I felt then.

Nothing much has changed.  The only major difference I think would be that I am now more of the giver than a receiver.  :D

I still do not know the exact, real meaning of Christmas.  I think it is a time for gift giving and getting together.  I know Santa Claus is not real, and so are the elves and the be-nice-be-good list.  

So what does Christmas really means to our family?  For we are freethinkers.  

Simply, it means a month of friendship, gatherings and fun, apart from the gift giving.  No need to adhere to a schedule, we turn up at most parties that we are invited to, even on weekdays.  We wander around shopping malls, Universal Studios Singapore and along Orchard Road to catch the lightings and the man-made snow, even on weekdays.

We host parties, with family or friends, at times.

We attend parties at friends'.

Photo Credit : Katty

There are always a few parties that will happen every year.  For those, we definitely make time for.  As it is a time parents catch up with one another and the children play together.  And for any parties that are "newly created", we try to attend too.  For it is also the time when friendships are forged and strengthened.

Photo Credit : Meiling of Universal Scribbles

We started a new tradition - to put up a new Christmas ornament each year.  It started last year with the Lego Christmas bauble.  D started to build his own Lego sets around then and the bauble is to remind us in years to come of when he started using his little fingers to build the set all by himself.  We are starting to wonder what next year's ornament will be!

What does Christmas mean to your family?

This post is part of the blog train, "What Christmas Means to Our Family" hosted by PrayerFull Mum.

Next on the blog train, Mei blogs at Finally Mama about her journey balancing a full time corporate job, a social enterprise for women entrepreneurs (www.crib.com.sg) and most importantly, caring for a multigenerational family of grandparents, hubby and a 4 year old boy.  Read on to find what this special season means to them as they take time to disconnect from the busyness of life and reconnect with what matters. 

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