Christmas in a Foreign Land

By ryukyumike On December 30, 2009 · 6 Comments

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How do you keep kids believing in Santa ? A good friend of mine came over the other day and asked if I knew where he could put a story online about an experience he had with his seven year old daughter. Matador was my first recommendation, right here. Just open an account, throw on some photos, get a Blog and start bangin’ away on the keyboard. Matdorians love hearing stories about raising your children in a foreign land.

He told me a little about the experience. Then said he didn’t want to join anymore places and have to get more passwords, memberships, accounts, whatever. Took his dog and walked off muttering something about a great Christmas story, dog having to take a crap, the internet, passwords and damn computers.

Well, about five minutes later, when my body had just the right level of caffine and nicotine in it, my brain turned itself on. I have some recent photos of the culprit and Mario’s a great friend, so I’ll help him get his story online.

Later in the day, I dropped by his house (knowing he’s always got a bottle of Jack Daniels, somewhere) and told him, if he’d create a Word Doc, I’d throw some shots of his daughter on my Matador Blog and paste in his story, unedited,

So, here you go: Text by Paul Cassity with Photos by Me

Christmas in a foreign land is quite an experience, and being in a multi racial family makes it even more eventful.

We have a seven year old daughter and I,( being American) am use to celebrating Christmas in a more traditional manner, where as my wife being Japanese treats it as just another day.

I put up a tree, buy and wrap presents and cook a special meal. It’s nothing really big, but a special day never the less. And as such I try to involve my daughter whenever possible in putting up the tree and decorating and such.

On Christmas day our daughter wakes up and goes into the living room and shouts “Santa came! “, when she sees the presents under the tree. She opens her presents and finds one for Papa and one for Mama there too and then eats breakfast and goes off to school.

Of course she has to find that Santa brought Mom and Dad each a present or she would wonder why , Was we bad? So I always make sure that there is something with our names on it.

It’s when she comes home that daddy has to lie; strong word isn ‘t it? But she asks why Santa didn’t visit all of her friends in school. “Were they all bad?”. Now I have to come up with something fast and on the fly, so here comes the lie.

” Well maybe your friends want to keep it a secret because your whole class couldn’t be bad”, I said; “and Santa only gives presents to those children that were good and not naughty”

I don’t think she bought it and is now at the age of seven I feel that she is beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Clause.

But how would one explain Why Santa only came to their house and not to all of her friends houses as well?

If anybody has an answer to this question I would like to hear it.

6 responses to Christmas in a Foreign Land

Michael Lynch said on January 13, 2010

Hibiscus Road,
Thank you. Trust me that girl didn’t need any photos to come alive. She’s a live-wire; hadda use flash on a sunny day to catch her !

Cheers,
Mike
Helen Polychronakos said on January 13, 2010

Thanks for your comment! Great writing style,and nice of you to help a friend. Your photos make the little girl come to life.
Angeline Muñoz said on January 9, 2010

To have Santa come to your house you have to believe!

Beautiful little girl.
Rose Witmer said on January 1, 2010

I can understand his feelings on having so many accounts and passwords. If we ever lost our notebooks full of hints and reminders on every site…

Great pictures, Mike! I’m glad to see them online!

Raising a child in a foreign land and trying to uphold traditions…that’s difficult. I think Travellohr’s right, it would make an incredible article. Unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to lend, but I’m sure hundreds of others do. He isn’t the first facing this dilemma.

Good luck!
Rose
Expert

Sumitran Robert said on December 30, 2009

Mike, the first picture is beautiful ! The little girl’s eye on the bubble is so warm and nice. Mike, just today I started on Twitter. So give me awhile to get a hang of how it works. If you’re on facebook, we could connect there as well. Here’s wishing you a belated Christmas and a wonderful New Year !! Stay in touch.
Sabina Lohr said on December 30, 2009

Mike – I really like these photos, especially “The Bubble Girl.”

And how to keep Christmas alive for expats’ children in a non-Christian country – I think your friend’s story would make a great article somewhere.