Child's Christmas



     I think most people who celebrate Christmas will agree that the best ones are those shared with children who are young and innocent enough to believe in magic. My brother, Steve, and I both remember the Christmas Eve when we were three and four, that he got in my crib with me so we could share our excitement. There was so much magic in the air, and we were sure we heard sleigh bells on the roof!

    The little fireplace in this arrangement was mine when I was a child, and the little boy waiting for Santa was part of a gift from my Aunt Jeanie when I was very young. He used to sleep inside of a snowball ornament, lost or broken long ago. Now he sleeps in a little rocker, waiting for morning when he will see what Santa has left for him under the tree that Mark made for me. 

    I created this arrangement to delight my granddaughter when she comes to visit, and to remind me of the enchantment of a child's Christmas  When Mark and I had our own children we briefly wondered if we should pretend that Santa Claus brought gifts on Christmas Eve. When we remembered how magical it was to believe in Santa we knew we wanted our kids to have that same experience. We never felt that we were cheated by our parents and I don't think our kids felt that way either. 

    So what is sacred about this arrangement? The memories and emotions that it evokes. The way that my parents made sure that Christmas was a special and magical day for my siblings and me, no matter how tight finances were at the time. The mantle burning with candlelight after the Christmas Eve church service. The joy on my own children's faces when they came down the stairs on Christmas morning. The love that we felt as we took turns opening our gifts to one another. The symbolism of the childlike innocence we all long to experience again, if only for a moment. 



For more on the magic of Christmas: Anticipating Christmas 


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