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How have you explained the religious aspects of Xmas
papagena
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to your toddler? Have you? What have you talked about with Christmas?
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Re: How have you explained the religious aspects of Xmas
Yes, we've started that from the get-go through reading books about nativity and explaining that Christmas is the day that Jesus was born. My SIL started the tradition with our nephews, and we've carrried it through to have a birthday cake for Jesus. We have that on Christmas day, light candles, and sing happy birthday. I feel like that is such a great reminder of what the day means to us. We really try to downplay the whole Santa/present thing and whenever it comes up I remind Eli about whose birthday it is. I certainly want him to have fun with the Santa thing but it's not our focus.
ETA: Eli has been learning a lot about Hanukkah at school which I'm happy about. The director of the school is one of his teachers this year and she's Jewish. He came home singing tradle, tradle, tradle...haha. It was really cute! But I'm glad for him to learn about other religions as well.
Big E (6) & Little E (2.5)
We talked about it a little bit this year now that E is older (5) and can understand abstract concepts better. We started discussing the holidays when Hanukkah started. I wanted him to know what people were talking about and to start building an understanding of why we celebrate and that not everyone does exactly as we do, but how special what they celebrate is too. As things come up we talk about them.
His teacher also explained a bit... perhaps more than I am really comfortable with. I am conflicted though, as I'm happy that he knows what he learned, just unsure of having someone other than me telling him :
I should add that we do mention what it's all about in general, but we actually started discussing more details with him this year - especially since he has more questions.
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We have tried to explain it in toddler understandable pieces. My MIL has a giant, life sized nativity and we explained to S about Mary being mommy, Joseph being daddy, and Jesus being the baby, and how Christmas is to celebrate his birth. Then I totally confused her by throwing in the "Jesus is really God's son" aspect so we're trying to stick with the basics, for now. lol
Similarly we've tried to explain the basics surrounding Hanukkah & Yule as we have a pretty diverse group of friends and she's interested in their celebrations, too.
All I've really said to her is that Christmas is about baby Jesus being born. I'm sure she doesn't understand at all, but year after year, I'll explain more and more until she really understands.
So glad you asked this, I'm stalking for replies. We haven't. We have a "touch and feel book" about Baby Jesus (sounds creepy, but there's a furry ox and donkey, a rough inn wall and rough hay manger, and a sparkly angel robe) that we read but don't explain further.
He has a nativity to play with. We also have a few books to read (other than the purely secular Christmas, haha). I also remind him that we celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born. I don't really get into it more than that. I also tell him we give presents and get together with family in order to have a birthday party for Jesus. That may seem weird, but I think he understands it a little better? lol who knows.
eta: He was also in the nativity pageant at church and I tried to explain advent to him (haha)
11 months