Am I being unseasonal?

[FrozenNorth]

Sorry, couldn't resist a lame pun title :)

For religious reasons, we're not 'doing' Santa. Tree, meal, cake, decorations a few gifts, games, relatives, silly hats yes, in spades! - just not the man in red himself. Does anyone else do this? This is the first year that DD1 will be old enough to get the concept

(NB: religious reasons are simply the wish to keep the focus on Jesus' birthday)

(NB2: when DDs get old enough to be able to talk about it with other children, we're going to couch it in terms of santa being a fun and traditional part of some people's Christmas gift giving, so hope to avoid them spoiling anyone else's Christmas by avoiding saying he 'doesn't exist' etc)

So, are we being Scrooges or do other people do this too?

Can you bring in the Saint Nicholas story?

We're definitely going to do St Nicholas, yes - just not in a present-day gift-giving capacity.

I think you are entitled to celebrate any way you wish. Don't worry about others. Particularly the idea of your DDs telling others that it isn't about Santa - each year DCs come home with someone having told them he doesn't exist. I tell them he does but will only bring presents if you believe :) So I'm guessing most parents have a way around dealing with the is he/isn't he question :)

We incorporate St Nicholas into our christmas as DH is dutch so we celebrate on 5th December too. Part of that tradition is that the children "give back" to others less fortunate than themselves rather than only receiving presents. Perhaps you may want to incorporate this element as I would think it sits very well with christian tradition, no?

I think that's a very good idea Tulpe - thank you!

We do the whole thing without Jesus or any aspect of christianity (ie we celebrate the winter/end of year) so I don't see why you can't do the opposite.

And my kids have already told their cohort at preschool that santa etc is a fairy story . So don't worry on that score. Kids are used to hearing different versions of things and interpreting them. :)