So why are we still celebrating a Christian holiday, Christ's Mass? On December 25th, 274 AD, the Emperor Aurelian consecrated the temple of Sol Invictus, creating a holiday called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti – the birthday of the Sun – officially elevating the Sun to the highest position among the gods – nudging a steering current towards monotheism. Historical content again but that would be another point against the book in terms of what you're looking for. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Monetized by SkimLinks, I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for non-religious, non-Santa Christmas books for kids. If follows a bear through his day as he prepares a Christ mas party for his friends. Discover the best Children's Non-religious Holiday Books in Best Sellers. I had to mention one of my favorites, since I didn't see it on the list: Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385327218/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_CJsAwbY63Q2N2), about how one Christmas tree makes so many (human and animal) families happy! In Britain, we celebrate the Queen’s birthday on June 9th instead of her actual birthday of April 21st, because April showers bring May flowers. The little boy's eyes opened wide at the mere thought of all that splendor. What are YOUR go-to, non-religious, non-Santa Christmas books for kids? The Very Non-Christian History of Christmas. 6. My husband was always fine with it and we were always with extended family during the holidays so I always played along. It's also good because it grows with the child, like 2 year olds like the story but older children can enjoy doing the things themselves. Oh, yes! There was no evidence that was the actual day of birth, to the contrary, the gospel of Luke, says: Shepherds watch their flock by night during lambing season, which is the spring. "Apple Tree Christmas" by Trinka Hakes Noble. My kids and step-kids are now 25, 19, 16, and 14. His birth was not initially a holiday, because birthdays were not then celebrated in Jewish culture. The Angel Gabriel Foretells the Birth of Jesus. My husband and I have grappled with this a lot but for different reasons than you – we are Christian. It's a winter book rather than a Christmas book but we always "read" it around Christmas time. I'm kind of obsessed with her right now. The story is sooo worth reading as a tale of pure human kindness (even though the story again stars anthropomorphic animals) and sharing with the people in our community, including friends, the elderly, and those less fortunate than ourselves. Almost everyone who has read one or more of these heartwarming Christmas stories has come away deeply moved and inspired. My sister and I loved "Clementine's winter wardrobe" as kids. It's not much of a story, and is winter-themed, not Christmas, but it's cute. their mother was also ill. This is what the movie was based on. Each of the books is broken into 3 shorter stories. The two Christmas-themed stories (although the Thomas is more of a prose poem) were The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and an extract from A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. We used to read around Christmas time every year. But there’s no rule that says a day of celebration has to coincide with the actual date of origin. Yay I get to suggest my favorite childhood "Christmas" book! I had a painted wooden horse just like the one in the book until our dog chewed it up. We've been getting so much crap lately for not doing Santa in our house, but in the words of my husband, "I don't ever want our daughter to think it's okay for some old man in a weird suit to break into our house and leave her presents from his sack." About a little boy who wishes for a rocking horse for christmas. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Polar Express. Too bad! it's not a really great book, but it definitely hits the general gist of what we are celebrating. If we're stuck on celebrating the Winter Solstice with all the Pagan Germanic trappings (the trees, the lights, the garlanding, the feasting, the gifts, the alcohol…) then why not just call it Solstice and let the Christian stuff go? I was raised essentially agnostic, but we still celebrated Christmas with a tree and Santa. A Reason To Rejoice. A Christmas Tale. There’s nothing to be feared from those traditions. One book we do have of is Jan Brett is "The Twelve Days of Christmas". I should mention that the Lemony Snicket one does have a Santa in it…but he's a guy who works at the drug store. People have, for thousands of years, celebrated astronomical markers that help them regulate things in their lives, like agriculture. http://www.bramblyhedge.co.uk/Secret-Staircase, http://www.soulinbronze.com/good-dog-carl-2002.html, http://www.trinkahakesnoble.com/appletree.html, Henry and Mudge and a Very Merry Christmas, http://www.amazon.com/Jackies-Gift-Sharon-Robinson/dp/0670011622, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385327218/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_CJsAwbY63Q2N2, Why only you can heal you (and why that's fucking awesome), Surviving divorce taught me how to survive 2020, The ultimate offbeat breakup book: From Sh!tshow To Afterglow, How to fix your bed to be quieter during sex. Still one of my favorites. I was devastated. Christmas dominates almost everything in November and December, and it can be hard to tell non-Christian kids that they don't get a tree or visit from Santa. The boy goes out to the forest to get their Christmas tree and while there helps some small creatures and a poor girl ( I think) He finds a beautiful flower blooming in the snow. Will and Guy’s collection of Christmas tales, many with a humorous twist. If nothing else, maybe one of the books I listed will garner good suggestions of other similar titles on Amazon. I guess I should try my local library but I don't remember seeing it there when I was working there. 3 & 4. And finally, there is a brief mention of Santa Claus on the final page of this final book, but it can easily be left out when reading it: "Once There Was A Christmas Tree" by Jerry Smath is a BEAUTIFUL story of 4 different families that end up sharing a Christmas tree cut up into 4 parts. Please help spread the inspiration to those around us and throughout the world. Saturnalia was celebrated by feasts, the giving of gifts, and a brief sense of equality through role-reversal as the masters tended to the servants. The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter. 2. But this question and the answers make me love the OB world even more! Answer by Robert Frost, Instructor and Flight Controller at NASA, on Quora: Why is Christmas pagan and what is an alternative tradition to Christmas one can do instead? I was going to mention Christmas Trolls! The winter solstice marks the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night. I know you specified "No Santa" but its worth reading regardless, and it is VERY easy to leave this element out of the story entirely. Dante Lucille, 58, a Jew living in London, said: “Christmas is clearly the most important religious festival in the UK, as a culturally Christian country. I celebrate a non-religious Christmas, but I do celebrate Santa. Minority religious groups in Christian countries have had centuries to develop their own approaches to December 25—my colleague Marc Tracy just made the case for the joys of … Published: December 21, 2020. We have his statue in the park literally one block away from us. I'm going to try to talk openly about this when my family gathers for our giant feast after decorating our very pagan "Christmas" tree. The illustrations are beautiful of course, and the song is secular (aside from the premise of 12 days of Christmas itself, so my kids just think it's about counting). I have reserved some at the library, and bought "Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury" just now that contains several of the books others have mentioned. I did consider doing the "Christmas Fairy" instead buuut the kids heard about Santa from different sources so it's just like okay, Santas coming! For the ancient Romans, that holiday was called Saturnalia, named for the god Saturn. We are proud to be non-Christians. Illustrations are wonderful! Two other books we love that are great winter books that have nothing to do with Christmas are "Ten on the Sled" and "If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws!" A place to share knowledge and better understand the world. Caan any one help me. If I *did* have kids, I would probably want to present Christmas in much the same way that many of you have. A big storm hits, and their beloved apple tree is destroyed But it makes for a lovely surprise for the daughters on Christmas morning! Written by L. Frank Baum. Here's her website: http://janbrett.com/booklist.htm. Her quest is to be Santa's elf… but honestly there's not much Santa as the focus is on her quest and the nice things she does for others. The fun is picking your favourite piece of clothing, or the one you think she is going to pick, for each item (mittens, scarf, etc.). Each of those cultures has enriched the holiday, giving us more traditions with which to celebrate it. We are no more corrupted by having a “pagan” Christmas tree in our house than we are by having a calendar that says Wednesday or Miercoles on it. As those early Christians moved into Northern Europe and introduced Christmas to the native Germanic peoples, the practices of Christmas were influenced by the practices of those peoples for their winter solstice holidays. 5. I can't remember any more. The Tailor of Gloucester is a children’s book written and … At this time of year it is patently clear. Christmas Loser How They Forecast a Cold Winter Two Idiotic reactions to freezing weather Try Before You Buy Christmas Tree Stories Traditional Christmas Pudding Short Funny Xmas Story Christmas Queue Folly Mistletoe at the Airport Sponsored Links ∇ The Saga … Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. This family had a tradition where the Mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service, and the Father would stay home and read the paper. "Joseph's Letter Home," a letter written by Joseph to his mother from Bethlehem telling of Joseph taking Mary to be his wife.Home Life, December 1989; Purpose,December 29, 1991; Visjon (Norwegian) December 1996. Wednesday comes from the pagan Germanic god Woden and Miercoles comes from the pagan god Mercury. randomly while shopping for baby gifts for a friend, and it is very simple and has no Santa or religious aspects (aside from a decorated tree and the word Christmas). Brownie Groundhog and the Wintry Surprise. Working parents: how to magically "level up" during quarantine?. Ooo! Oh, I just remembered that there's someone dressed up as Santa at the Christmas play as well. So, at least half a millennia after the origin of Saturnalia, Jesus Christ was born. It would also be a few centuries until they decided to pick a day for that celebration, because the gospels do not tell us on what day he was born. Paul Harvey tells the story about a family on Christmas Eve. Where do you think those names come from? Here is Will and Guy’s collection of short stories with a humorous and festive theme. Heck, today is Wednesday, for English speakers and Miercoles for Spanish speakers. The stories may also have newer interpretations and introduce new characters (such as Rudolph the reindeer). According to our families and some friends, we're "ruining her sense of wonder and magic", but I remember being devastated when I found out "the truth" and we try our best not to ever outright lie to her. (The whole Henry and Mudge series is worth checking out, honestly. Many of the most popular and traditional songs of Christmas are religious—such as Silent Night, Holy Night and Oh Come All Ye Faithful. It's been a few years since I read it to kids, but lots of ages loved it, it's definitely not religious, and I am reasonably sure it is Santa-free. We're all about supporting you as you create a space in this world where you feel comfortable. "Henry And Mudge In The Sparkle Days" AND "Henry and Mudge and a Very Merry Christmas" by Cynthia Rylant and Sucie Stevenson. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. I am an atheist but I do do Santa with my kids. I was going to mention The Mitten. How the Grinch stole christmas by Dr Seuss would also be on my list. Word of caution – The Jolly Christmas Postman does end with the postman going to Santa's workshop, so it doesn't fit the no-Santa requirement. A focus on spending time with family and kindness/goodwill towards others. We do teach her the history/explain the "legend" so-to-speak and she knows not to spoil the fun for kids who believe. I just found, 14 gifts for dapper, artistic types that will make even the hipster-iest hipster excited, How the color-depositing conditioners of oVertone changed my hair routine forever, Offbeat Home & Life launched in 2011 as a sister site to, Yep, we're all just doing the best we can to try to get through it. It has the "Magic of Christmas" sort of thing going, but isn't religious and doesn't, to … Also, please send us your Short Christmas story and we will publish it with a credit to you. When the family returns home from … The King of the land Has been looking for this legendary plant and hears about it at the children's home. Definitely: http://www.bramblyhedge.co.uk/Secret-Staircase, This is a story of a mid-winter celebration – 'when the days are the shortest, the nights are the longest'. It's so true, the holiday is Christian in name but in very little else. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is always a good pick for all ages. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. We are not Christians. Today is National Voter Registration Day! The book is about a family that lives on a farm. A children’s book, published in … I've looked at several secular homeschooling groups and found recommendations for "A Solstice Tree for Jenny" and "The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice." "Morris' Disappearing Bag" by Rosemary Wells, which takes place on Christmas morning after the presents have been opened. The very organic mix of the secular and religious in Christmas is perhaps no better expressed that in Bart Simpson’s sentiment, ... Santa and the christian Christmas story itself. In other words, the only thing that distinguishes paganism from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Shintoism, or Judaism is the number of people that have signed up for the newsletter. Thanks everyone for your great suggestions!! ", Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children: "The ideas, suggestions, and activities collected here bring children into rituals that celebrate seasonal cycles and help reclaim the spiritual roots of today's modern holidays." Here's how some non-Christian … I don't koknow the name of it but it was about a brother and sister who's father was ill and couldn't cut trees etc. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Books Best Sellers. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. The story of Christmas Jesus' birth, known as the nativity , is described in the New Testament of the Bible. Emmett Otter is sweet and (apart from anthropomorphization) not fantasy dependent. Why didn't I think of asking that question here? I always thought of The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as a Christmas book, although there's not any mention of Christmas or Santa in it; just snow and winter fun. "The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story" has religious elements in the story – a girl and her mother getting a Christmas tree for the town church while the father is away with the army at the end of WWI, and the girl plays the part of the angel in the Christmas play – but it's historical context, rather than preaching. Sweet Jesus Is Born. Christmas developed, one scholar says, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with worship of the Son. I am trying to find an old story that I used when I was a school Librarian. Immediately after Matthew tells of the visit of … Parents shouldn’t lie to their children. Christmas is a holiday that has evolved due the passage of time and the influence of various cultures as Christmas has entered their lives. we just discovered "a coyote solstice tale" at the library, which we read on the first night of our week-long solstice celebration that we do instead of christmas.
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