Snowshoeing in an Avalanche

I buck tradition. Traditions are often laden with expectation rather than real resonance for me.

It wasn’t long ago that I’d breeze through December with nary a thought about the holidays. Sure, I was bombarded by Christmas noise everywhere, but this didn’t create panic or a mountainous to-do list.

This orientation survived through my twenties, but did not last long into parenthood.

Once our oldest went to school, societal pressure was on! She decided that our Solstice tree was, in fact, a Christmas tree. And this is where things began to fall apart.

For all its cheerfulness, Christmas has a smothering effect on December. The other winter holidays are nearly asphyxiated. Once upon a time, Christmas was a very simple holiday. Today, there is nothing simple about it.

I imagine the landfills salivating in anticipation of all the loot headed their way. Out with the old, in with the new.

I have attempted to create simpler, more meaningful holiday traditions, but it seems I’ve just created my own brand of craziness. It feels like driving on the wrong side of the road.  Future years with older, more clued-in kids promises to be like snowshoeing in an avalanche.

In a matter of a few weeks we have a whirlwind of celebrations. We relish in latkes and light the menorah (for all 8 nights) with our family who celebrates Hannukah.

Then we catch our breath.

We put carrots out for the reindeer, discuss the history of the very generous St. Nick, bring attention to the birthday of a great historical figure all wrapped up as Christmas, with our family who celebrates it.

Then we catch our breath.

Smooshed in between the two, we celebrate Solstice – our chosen holiday. We spend more time than usual in the woods taking care of the gnomes. We leave them special treats in hollowed-out tree roots. And, later we downplay rumors from our neighbor that gnomes don’t exist. We decorate a tree, make a solstice wreath, hike in the woods, have a candle lighting ritual, and wait for the gnomes to bring gifts.

Why all the craziness?

We hope to create new meaningful traditions that represent the history of our family while not ignoring our own values. We use this season to celebrate our family’s heritage and focus on the common threads, origins, traditions, giving, and receiving. This too has run amuck and lacks the ease and simplicity that we are craving.

One common aspect of all of the winter holidays is celebrating light. The first day of winter – the Winter Solstice – is the shortest, darkest day of the year. The light reminds us that the days will soon grow longer. Just like the evergreens inside the house remind us that green will soon return to the earth.

So later today we will pick out our Solstice tree. We will decorate the tree with lights to brighten these dark days. Later on after dusk we will light the menorah, try one of the 8 Hannukah crafts from the fabulous site Matzo Ball Soup, and celebrate the miracle of light. Then we will begin preparing for our Solstice celebration on December 21 and the impending arrival of company and gifts for Christmas.

Alas, even our best intentions can backfire. Kids are ever at the mercy of their parent’s ideology.