When I married my husband, people were very happy for us alhamdulillah, but as my husband comes from a Ukrainian Catholic family, there was one concern that seemed to come up again and again from people: \u201cOMG! What are you going to do about Christmas?\u201d \u201cWhen you have kids, you\u2019re not going to let them celebrate Christmas are you??\u201d I had of course thought about this too but these questions only served to create anxiety. Looking back now I view those questions surrounding Christmas to be a bit silly because as with all things, I found the worry about \u2018the thing\u2019 to be much more serious than the thing itself.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be honest, if you don\u2019t celebrate Christmas, December 25th<\/sup> is the most boring day of the year. When I was young I remember there being nothing to do and no one to do nothing with because everyone was busy opening amazing gifts under a fragrant tree with twinkling lights \u2013 at least that\u2019s what I imagined as an outsider looking in.<\/p>\n My first Christmas with my in-laws felt sort of like stepping into a pretty store you had only window-shopped before. I was delicate with my steps and tried to look like I belonged but my eyes were as big as saucers looking at all the food and gifts that were displayed so beautifully. There was a sparkly tree surrounded by gifts and as I walked by I saw a perfectly wrapped present that said \u2018To Lena\u2019; the 7 year old girl within my heart did a cartwheel.<\/p>\n As the years have passed, Christmas with my in-laws has changed. As each family member carries on their own traditions in their own homes, our collective tradition has been taken down several notches. My husband and I have told our children about Christmas, but not in great detail; just to say that Grandma and Grandpa celebrate Christmas and we celebrate the togetherness of family, but for us there is no religious significance. They seem to accept and understand this.<\/p>\n Unexpectedly, the real challenge has been not turning Eid into an absolute spectacle. I remember thinking when the girls were young that we had to \u2018compete\u2019 with Christmas. \u201cAnother Eid dress?\u201d my husband would ask. Frantically I would answer \u201cNew clothes are what make Eid exciting! If we don\u2019t get them fancy dresses every time, Santa wins!\u201d<\/p>\n I think of the stern warnings given to me over a decade ago about the dangers of engaging in Christmas, and I now see Eid turning into a consumerist holiday devoid of religious meaning. When I was young Eid was a small, but significant holiday. You got to miss a day of school that no one else got to miss and various uncles would give you $2 bills as you\u2019d shake their hands and say \u201cEid Mubarak\u201d after prayer. Now Eid is Pinterest. Wouldn\u2019t it be better if your brownies looked like Kabas? Lollipops shaped like crescent moons are a cinch \u2013 Just watch my 18 minute video! And are you getting the kids the Wii or the iphone6? All of this is fine and I place no judgement on how people want to live; however, I wonder if we haven\u2019t become the thing we\u2019ve shunned.<\/p>\n Christmas has taught me about what Eid should be. Christmas at my in-laws is copious amounts of yummy food being served all day long; it\u2019s laughing over old stories being shared for the umpteenth time; it\u2019s kids running around high on chocolate milk; it\u2019s hugs goodbye. It is simple but it is also merry and bright.<\/p>\n My girls still get new dresses in an effort to make Eid exciting, but I\u2019ve changed my mind about the competition. Opening my heart to my in-laws meant opening me up to the things that they care about. Christmas isn\u2019t my holiday but I embrace it with the same warm spirit that it is shared in. Has Santa won? Maybe, but I\u2019m thankful to Allah that we\u2019ve found a way where we can all win together.<\/p>\n Lena Hassan lives in Ottawa and is a loving mother to 2 girls. She enjoys good eats, good reads and good company.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I married my husband, people were very happy for us alhamdulillah, but as my husband comes from a Ukrainian Catholic family, there was one concern that seemed to come up again and again from people: \u201cOMG! What are you going to do about Christmas?\u201d \u201cWhen you have kids, you\u2019re not going to let them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1611,"featured_media":6928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,18],"tags":[41182,627,41177,919],"class_list":["post-6927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motherhood","category-parenting","tag-holidays","tag-islam","tag-parenting","tag-parenting-dilemna"],"yoast_head":"\n