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Some thoughts about Christmas, parenting, and social justice for folks who celebrate Xmas...
Since our oldest was born (10 years ago!) I’ve thought a lot about what it would/could look like to reimagine problematic traditions and narratives associated with Xmas...
Since our oldest was born (10 years ago!) I’ve thought a lot about what it would/could look like to reimagine problematic traditions and narratives associated with Xmas...
1) Wealthy kids (usually) receive more presents from “Santa”. In a society with stark economic inequities, the magical delivery of gifts by a mythical man who *knows* if you are bad or good reinforces a sense of deservingness for privileged children.
More gifts = better kid
More gifts = better kid
What can you do to overturn this narrative? Take credit for the gifts you give your kids, *especially* the big ticket ones.
Every year we pick a couple of smaller presents to be from “Santa”, and the rest are from Mommy and Mama (or other family members).
Every year we pick a couple of smaller presents to be from “Santa”, and the rest are from Mommy and Mama (or other family members).
2) If you are white, is your Santa (in books, drawings, homemade ornaments) always white? Christmas is just another time (of many) where white kids get to see themselves reflected in stories of goodness and joy and giving and magic.
If you go looking, you will find that’s it pretty difficult to find non-white Santa depictions. But, it’s not impossible, AND you can also create them yourself! De-centering whiteness is something that we are working on, but it’s definitely a work in progress.
3) There are lots of holidays around this time! It doesn’t take away from one tradition to recognize another. You can maintain the magic and joy of Xmas while also teaching kids that it’s not the only story, and that there’s nothing inherently more magical or joyful about Xmas.
I write this while sitting next to my tree in the dark, which is just about my favorite thing to do. Merry Christmas!
