It was Christmas morning. My sweet mother woke us up and ushered us to gather around our fake Christmas tree to check our Christmas socks clumsily hanging on its branches. Real socks, not stockings. The use of Christmas stockings was unheard of in our little town in the Philippines back then. We would use a real sock for Santa to stuff it with goodies. I excitedly turned my sock inside out to reveal what he had given me. In that little sock was a three-inch purple chocolate candy bar called “Midget”, a five-peso bill and one other thing I couldn’t remember. I was over the moon. I don’t even remember if there was anything else I received from my parents that day. Growing up, they would only give us ONE GIFT for Christmas but I always have fond and warm memories of Christmas eve and Christmas day – maybe because, there were other things to enjoy besides the gift-giving. Parlor games were often played and there were lots of laughter. Lots of light-hearted conversation, dancing and good food.
Fast-forward three decades and I am now a mother to two little boys in a country, half-way around the world. It happens to be the richest country in the world. I have only been living here for seven years and one of the things that shocked me was the number of gifts people give each other on Christmas day. Every year, I stare at my son endlessly unwrapping gifts from morning till noon. Sometimes, it would even continue after lunch. When he likes something, we often have to tell him to just go back to it later because there are more gifts to open. Through the years, I have come to understand the logic of it – it is the perfect time to lavish someone you love with material things. Also, many of these things are needs like socks, crayons, clothes, etc. and wrapping presents brings some holiday cheer, anyway! (At least for me) It’s a totally different mindset. Aside from the gifts, “stocking stuffers” is also a thing in this side of the world. At first, I thought it was too much. But, this year, I decided to do it. We all have stockings – big ones that can be filled with little Christmas gifts like chocolates, little gadgets and little toys. Basically anything small. In theory, it’s potentially fun. Right now, let’s see how that goes.
However, as a mom navigating holidays like Christmas with little kids, there is a huge part of me that wants to take my little boys to the Philippines and make them hang one of their socks on my mother’s fake Christmas tree and give them just one gift on Christmas day. I am curious to observe the emotions it will bring and curious to know whether it will be a big deal. I have always told my son the true meaning of Christmas and it is to remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I wonder if the gift of the one gift will help him remember that and will help him enjoy other aspects of the celebration. I wonder if one is not less, but more. I wonder if 'one' is enough and 'more' only defeats the purpose. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder.
