Our baby is just now three months old, so this is her first Christmas. And my first as a dad. So my wife and I have great reasons to reinvigorate some holiday traditions — and start some new ones. We’ve got some volunteering stints lined up, a couple holiday parties, maybe get in some ice skating as well. It’s a pity that Arya won’t remember any of it, such is the forgetful nature of infants, but that’s not stopping us.
It’s cool to think that how we choose to celebrate this holiday can grow, strengthen, and become a family tradition. If we go skating on the 26th, choose to eat spaghetti on Christmas Eve, or only give gifts that start with the letter ‘C’, that could very well become the way that Arya knows the holidays.
And not just for Christmas of course, but for everything. How we structure the family time and the little things we do for each other and with each other can become habits and then traditions. I’m carrying on some traditions from my childhood, and adapting others, but we’re building a new Millar Christmas here.
Christmas was a special, thrilling time in my house growing up, and I look forward to passing that on. Chiara, who’s never really been one to revel in Christmas — other than watching Home Alone, and letting me put up a tree — is on board as well. In fact, last week the two of them went and picked up a bunch of Christmas trappings – including stockings, lights, and a shiny star to sit atop our tree.
It’s currently early morning, and I’m sitting on the couch, drinking some homemade eggnog in the glow of the tree, listening to a Christmas-themed Spotify playlist I made, with my baby sleeping next to me; I can’t help but smile.
There’s not much under our tree, and there won’t be. Because we’ve decided one tradition we’ll have is not doing lots of presents. I’m good with that; I don’t need presents this year, I already got everything I wanted.
