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Teenagers’ Opinions on the Meaning of Christmas

I have written before about how teenagers are never wanting for opinions. In fact, my children have been rather opinionated and open to sharing their theories and pontificating about the whys and hows of things for quite some time. This past weekend, two of my children and I found ourselves talking about the holiday season and they were both sharing their ideas about what the “meaning” of the season is…

The great thing about teenagers is that they want to “go beyond” the typical—and come up with what they think are new ways of looking at things. They’ve heard all the stories and religious messages and they want to formulate their own ideas about things. I love that fresh and passionate perspective!

So, what did the teenagers come up with? I admit that the cynic in me was expecting it was going to be all about electronics and gift cards. According to them, however, the holidays are about abundance, sharing, visiting, togetherness, and laughter—my son threw in that he thought you just couldn’t have Christmas without plenty of sugar and chocolate (I think there is a future pastry chef in there somewhere). It wasn’t about shopping or gifts or even wish lists for the debating teens and they actually both shared that they needed a healthy dose of “family” for the season to be meaningful. That truly surprised me since they are definitely at the age where friends and peers seem to be taking precedence (and these are the same ones who don’t really want to be seen out and about in public with me.) All in all, I was delightfully surprised by the ordinarily-snarky teenagers “take” on the festive holiday season and what makes for a meaningful and fulfilling holiday. I suppose there is hope for the next generation after all.

Also: Do You Know Your Kids’ Favorite Holiday Songs?

Holding it Together Until Winter Break