At 5 years old though, our son is determined to get everything he can out of the holidays. If anything is decorated with a Christmas tree, Santa, reindeer, or so forth, he shouts "Mom! It's Christmas!" He believes in Santa wholeheartedly. It is truly wonderful to watch his enthusiasm.
Last year I learned that Santa only brings Japanese children one gift. My husband and I discussed it and decided that we could participate and let our son believe in the magic of the holiday by supplying him with a present from Santa.
While we have relaxed on the whole "no gift" concept, I just couldn't bring myself to pay ¥24,840 ($223) according to the price tag we saw last year. So, I casually said "If you want a tree, you can make one."
So, what did that little elf do? He made a Christmas tree. He outlined the tree himself and drew a number of ornaments. His eight pointed star was inspired. It quickly became a family project, as my husband and I were tasked with adding more ornaments and then helping to color in the tree.
Once hung on the living room wall, he grabbed the one present he knew about in the house and placed it under the tree. One was from Santa! My son brought it home from school on Friday. He explained to me that Santa visited the children at his school and gave a present to each child. Santa even left sleigh tracks and ice in the play yard. My son has repeated told me "It was the REAL Santa!" As floored as I was about a Santa Claus in a public school, we decided he would wait until Christmas morning to open it up.
I always realize that my son is one of the most positive, inspiring people in my life. He brings such joy to me and everyone around him. He makes the spirit of Christmas come alive. And I can't thank him enough for that.
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