So, I suggested changing it slightly. I suggested, instead of giving everyone
gifts, perhaps we could all write a story about some topic, and then read it out
at "christmas". And then we could go to my aunt's and do our "Kris Kringle"
(also known as "Secret Santa").
From this came a discussion on the traditions
of Christmas, something I've always been fascinated with ever since I discovered
that Christmas meant "Mass of Christ". I could never really work out why we
celebrated this, as not only did we not go to mass (we aren't Catholic), but we
are actually pretty much an agnostic/atheist family.
I explained to her that
Christmas was the christian renaming of Yule or Mid-Winter's Eve. That the tree
we put up every year is representative of the fact that a pine tree is evergreen
even in the middle of winter.
Since we live in Australia, and it's usually either blaring hot summer, or pouring rains (we almost get tropical thunderstorms), and really a pine tree, and a mass is not really meaningful to us at all.
I told her about how I feel that ritual is important, and that I like the pagan rituals. Celebrating the way the seasons change. And to me Christmas has always been about family, not about a man in a red suit (thankyou Coca-Cola), pine trees, and fake snow.
So she decided she wanted to change it. This is what I've always loved about my Mum. She is willing to take a new idea, see the reasoning behind it and turn it into something of her own.
So we are having a Summer Solstice Family Feast *grin*. She still wants the tree, and that's because it's meaningful to her, as a child in England, she always had a tree, there's something magic about it. This year, she's going to go with a pine tree, but she's thinking about next year. Instead of stockings we are having a Summer Solstice Gift (she's thought up some groovy name for it.. but I can't quite remember what it is), which will be from her and my step-father to us (three kids). My little sister (11 years old) will still get presents, and my brother (22) and I will buy our own present for ourself and bring it. And we will write stories, and eat brunch, and then go and have "Christmas" at my Aunt's place.
Because to me, it is about family. About being around family, and being myself. Giving everyone a hug, but then retreating into a corner and reading. Having photos taken of all of us together now that we're all grown up (my cousins range from 16-30). For my mother, aunt and grandmother to be really proud of the family they have.
I love my family. And I'm really looking forward to December 25th this year. ;-)