I liked these posts a lot last year, and when I saw it again today, I thought I'd join in too.
So thank-you to Floss for her lovely idea!
There was an absolute FRENZY taking place inside, as frantic adults were dragging hysterical children towards the grotto. The ear piercing howls and wails of hot and bothered, over-excited tots filled the air. I just looked on in horror, really, as it felt like the world had gone mad!
It's easy, as a middle-aged mum, with grown-up children, to criticise .... to 'tut' and say 'how awful' .... and 'it wasn't like that when my two were little!' .... but do you know, in the scramble, no-one looked HAPPY.
Now, it must be said here and now that I am a fully-signed up CHRISTMASHOLIC .... I love this time of year, I love everything about it. But it's so easy to get caught up in the madness of it all, spending too much on presents nobody needs, and food nobody eats.... rushing around and missing the magic!
Surely, Christmas must mean something more .....
In school, we try to balance the excitement of Christmas with some deeper thinking too .... so at least our children can begin to realise it's not just about 'presents' and 'chocolate'.
This year we've decided to make the Advent season a little more meaningful with some special assemblies over the next four weeks.
Today, we lit the first candle on our (new) Advent Wreath ....
This week I'm going to try and take time out to consider my hopes for myself, my family and the world.
Lovely post Kathy. It's worse here (Australia) I think as we also have the start of the summer school holidays in a couple of weeks. I did the same thing last week, went into my local shopping centre and found myself in the middle of Santa's first visit. The noise was horrendous, not joyous or happy, just loud and raucous. Being a nana to eight and a founding member of the 'all things Christmas is good' society, I was quite shocked at my own attitude to this display of parents pushing reluctant children along so they could have that happy snap of the kids and Santa....I do remember with great affection the grotto's of my English childhood, but they seemed to be orderly lines and patient mothers...a warped nostalgic memory perhaps..
ReplyDeleteOkay, rant over, I love your Advent Tree it's just lovely...enjoy!
Lizzie
xxx
I love Christmas but hate all the excesses of spending.So this year we have made a limit of £25 to be spent on the adults.It has been great fun finding what you can buy for that.The grandchildren we are excluding from this arrangement!!C and I are doing it too.
ReplyDeleteLovely post - nice to hear you are trying to keep the children in school from exploding in a over-excited mess.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten that the Advent calendar is NOT a count down to Christmas. Thanks for the reminder and I'll do the same and wonder about the hopes of those in my life and for the community.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note.....I wonder if we have 'grottos' here in Delaware or the US? ;) Grottos sound so lovely and picturesque.
Julie
Do you know it is frowned upon in school to wish someone Merry Christmas. They are afraid it might offend the children who don't celebrate Christmas. When my kids were little it was ok to talk about Christmas, but times have changed, I love your idea!!!
ReplyDeleteParing back is the way forward. I love this post Kathy and echo your sentiments entirely. xxxx
ReplyDeleteLovely post Kathy, and I like what you are doing in your school, what a special way to teach the children about Advent.
ReplyDeleteSomeone pointed out to me the other day that nearly all the Christmas adverts are all about greed and not one seasons greetings among them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they used to have.
Gillx
Great idea. I've been trying to build a few more thoughtful moments into my life. Of course I celebrate Yule, not Christmas, but I still get caught up in the madness of trying to make everything bigger and better than last year.
ReplyDeleteTime for a step back, I think.
Thanks so much for your message on my last post, it's good to have a few moments to check up on people although I'm a bit worried I'll get buried in lots of stuff again, but I'm trying to do one day at a time! This is a lovely post, I love Christmas and all the best things about it like you, but I find it really distressing the way it can seem to be controlled by material things, and people sometimes get so much and don't seem to appreciate it, taking things for granted. In my stocking as a child was always a penny, apple, orange and sugar mouse and just a few other things, and I was delighted! I love your advent tree and wreath in school and that you're trying to teach the children about a deeper meaning - the hope that Jesus came to bring and the importance of caring rather than getting all too often gets so lost now. My colleague is reading a book called 'the meaning is in the waiting' which sounds lovely, I must give that a try! xx
ReplyDeleteFirst let me say I love your Christmassy background !
ReplyDeleteWe are very laid back this year as we will be away at Christmas on holiday.
I love your Advent candles & tree at school. I really miss the things like this when my two were at primary schol especially the Nativity play & carol service.
Thanks for your comment at mine.... I forgot to add the Catherine / Katharine friends I have ! Have to remember the different spellings and there are so many versions !
I get called Pen & quite like it. Hubby's parents call him Rod. It doesn't suit him... he is definitely a Roddy !
What a nice post ... we, too, have just begun observing Advent in our little church in New Hampshire ... at home, I am keeping things very low-key. We will go into the woods to cut our greens today and make wreaths ... that's all ... one day at a time hoping and waiting and preparing in small ways for the coming of the Christ child ... no malls, no glitz ... perhaps later, but not now.
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