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We walk into the store and are immediately bombarded. Holiday decorations are everywhere. An aisle full of pumpkins, spooky skeletons, and costumes. A few aisles down I see Christmas decorations already being set up. Trees, ornaments, wrapping paper, and of course Santa Clause.
It feels like we are rushed from one holiday to the next with no time to focus or regroup. Let alone take the time to cherish the actual holiday season. It’s enough to make your head spin.
I don’t know about you, but I want my children to know the TRUE meaning of the holidays. And that has nothing to do with pumpkins, turkeys or Santa Clause. However, doing this takes dedication, it takes time, and it takes resources.
Some new resources we will be adding to our list this year includes an awesome series of books that take each of the holidays mentioned above and shows kids the TRUE meaning behind each of them. Here is a peek into these books as well as additional ways we can teach our kids the true meaning of the holidays.
The True Meaning of Halloween
Halloween is one of those holidays that most Christians love to debate. I don’t. I do allow our children to trick or treat but we don’t allow them to dress in scary costumes. We pass out tracts to those who give us candy while trick or treating. For Halloween, we focus on using Halloween to share the light of Christ.
In the new book, It’s Not About You Mr. Pumpkin. The author shares A love letter wrote to the pumpkin that the holiday has become known for. I love how this book shares a gentle introduction to the evil that is behind Halloween. I found the book encouraging, not judgmental. It is a great way for parents to share why they may have reservations regarding the holiday, or why some people don’t celebrate it at all.
The True Meaning of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Because November is spent counting our blessings. We spend the whole month of November sharing what we are thankful for. In November we don’t begin shopping for Christmas or decorating our home. We truly try to cherish the season and thank God for what we already have.
In It’s Not About You Mrs. Turkey, the author brings kids back to the beginning of the holiday and reminds them to thank God for their blessings, NOT just for a turkey. Thanksgiving has become more about food and the kick off to Christmas than the remembrance of our forefathers and the task of counting our blessings. This book helps remedy that.
The True Meaning of Christmas
I remember years ago when I taught in a public school preschool classroom our school decided to do a celebration of the different religions. These included Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Native Americans Historic Traditions, and Christmas. Each room represented a symbol related to that religious holiday. Christmas’s symbol? Santa. There was no mention of a nativity or even a star. At that moment I realized how much Christ had truly been taken out of Christmas.
The book It’s Not About You Mr. Santa Clause helps fix that. This book doesn’t tell kids that Santa isn’t real. It instead shares the Christmas story with Santa. I love this gentle approach to sharing the TRUE meaning of Christmas.
More Resources Coming Soon!
The author of this series, Soraya Diase Coffelt, has a slogan that says “Reading helps children achieve their divine destinies.” All proceeds from her books go to the As the Stars of the Sky Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, to promote the importance of literacy in a child’s life. As a Christian, she believes that every child has a God-given destiny. She knows how critical literacy is in a child’s life and because of this she longs to share more books like the ones listed above. In 2017 expect It’s Not About You Mr. Easter Bunny – A Love Letter About the True Meaning of Easter; and It’s Not About You Mrs. Firecracker – A Love Letter About the True Meaning of the Fourth of July to be released.
As parents, we want to focus on resources that enforce the true meaning of the holidays throughout the holiday season. This series of books is one resource I know our family will be using for years to come!
Once you’ve entered visit As the Stars of the Sky on social media and let her know you appreciate her dedication to literacy!
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