Children Grow and Traditions Change, But in our Home the Christmas Spirit Remains Very Much Alive
In Brazil the night of December 24th is celebrated widely. It’s on Christmas Eve that Brazilians gather to share a beautiful meal with their families and exchange gifts. And we wait until midnight to toast the birth of Jesus. Some families without small children only dine after midnight. And many families dine and go to the “Missa do Galo – Rooster’s Mass” a special mass celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve, after all, over 70% of Brazilians are Catholics, even if mostly Cultural Catholics. The next day we sleep until late, wake up, and go straight to a lunch prepared with Christmas’ diner leftovers. Here in the U.S. traditions are different. Some families get together for an especial meal, others go to Mass, but for the children the big celebration happens on the morning of the 25th.
Our home is ready for Christmas
When our daughters were born we decided to celebrate Christmas the Brazilian way. So in our home while the girls believed in Santa Claus, we dined late, my husband sneaked out of the dining room to dress up as Santa, and when I took the girls to the living room he was already there, sitting on an armed chair and sweating profusely. When the girls were small we lived in Florida, where winters are as hot as in Rio de Janeiro. He would then open his gift bag and call the girls who sat on his lap delighted; they didn’t even notice dad’s absence. Over the years they began to ask, “Where’s my father.” Until one day when they sneaked behind his chair, removed his cap and fake beard. Now the whole family is Santa Claus for the children of the entities that we help every year.
I taught the girls that Santa is a representation of the spirit of kindness and charity, that everyone who can, should have towards those in need, and not just during the holidays’ season. Thus, in addition to donations we do throughout the year, in December my daughters together with their classmates adopt a child from the orphanage supported by their school. It’s a very special place called My House, which cares for babies who are ready to leave the hospital but are homeless and have nowhere to go. The technical description of what they do is to assure that the medical and developmental needs of these babies are met. Many of the babies are actually taken from their families because of ill treatment, and are sent to My House because they are malnourished and with serious emotional problems. Every year each class takes the list of a baby’s needs and assembles packages that are delivered personally by the sixth graders.
Santa’s Elves
The lists include basic items such as toiletries, pajamas, socks and slippers, and goes up to age appropriate toys. For some children with serious health problems, My House asks for money to purchase medicines and disposables, in those cases the girls decorate envelopes for the donation. Either way the children write letters to accompany the gifts. For those babies my daughters are Santa’s Elves spreading the Good Spirit of Christmas. And that’s how he remains very much alive in our home.