Christmas across 2 cultures - how to keep the kids believing?

[WidowWadman]

I'm German and we take turns spending one Christmas in Germany with my folks, and the other with my in-laws in the UK. The first couple of years were easy as my oldest was a bit too young to grasp Christmas. Last year she had just turned 3 and we were at my in-laws, and the whole she-bang with whisky, carrots and fireplace footprints was had. This year we'll be in Germany were celebrations are done on Christmas Eve and presents are usually brought by the "Christkind".

There are no other really young children in the family, so it's really only my kids who need to be fooled

So how do we do it best? We'd still like to do stockings and things, too.

a) tell them that father christmas really is a franchise and needs help from the Christkind to get it all done, and she starts early, being German and efficient.

b) only do family presents on Christmas Eve, and have Father Christmas bring his presents and the stockings over night as usual (would also help against the unwrap and discard frenzy a little)

c) just go 'bah humbug' and not do the silly charade at all?

I'd do B. Then it is a bit of both.

We used to do B, the only problem was that it all got a bit much because the Dc's all went to be so ridiculously late on Christmas eve. The good thing was that if there were loads of presents and it was all getting a bit much some could be saved for the next day. They still loved the stockings in the morning (I say used to because the DC's father is now my 'ex-p' so it will be early nights and stockings this year!).

I will try for B then, I just hope that my family plays along because sometimes they can be a bit thick.

Bi-cultural kids get remarkably good at accepting two different traditions. Anglo-German families we know tend to go to the German family on the afternoon of the 24th and any presents from that side of the family get brought then, and presents from the English part of the family get brought overnight and opened on the morning of the 25th. A 3yo will accept that the Christkind brings the first lot, and you can see him (if someone in your family dresses up, or you pay for a student to come over in costume), and that Father Christmas comes during the night and must never be seen. When your DC is older he might ask tricky questions about whether they're one and the same - but a child who is old enough to think about such matters has also probably worked out that FC/Christkind is all made up anyway.

we do B (German/English too)