So, I thought I’d bring up how we celebrate the holidays.

For my family, it’s always been about coming together. There were years the kids got a lot of gifts, and there were years where there were only a few. Since my parents did such a good job in teaching me the real reason behind this time of the year, I never really noticed.

I’m trying to teach my children the same thing. My daughter usually only receives a few toys from Santa (even though she usually asks for 20). This year, I told her that the list she is making for Santa needs to be of things that she would like to give to someone else. Of course, this was completely foreign to her and she said she would ask for two of each; that way she’d give one away and keep one.

Teaching her about the importance of giving is critical to me. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think about children who are starving in many places in the world. Or, about the families who are forced to live on less than $1 a day. I know that there are many people out there who think the same way that I do, but as an immigrant from an impoverished country, my motivation is coming from eye witness encounters.

So, if I haven’t depressed you too much , please share some of the traditions that you have for celebrating the holidays. Do they relate more to your family or your culture? How do you think growing up in an immigrant family has shaped the way you celebrate the holidays?

Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe to Balanced Melting Pot by Email