Caveman Christmas in the Twilight Zone…YIKES!

Christmas has come and gone! 

My wife and I awoke early and shared a present apiece with each with each other. We discussed it before Christmas, and my wife said it was very important to her that we didn’t buy more than one present each for each other.  I thought she was just trying to save cash…LOL  Actually, I thought it was kinda weird that it was so important to her.  Anyway, we exchanged our gifts and I was delighted to see how happy my wife was when she opened hers up!  I thought to myself, damn you would think she never had a Christmas gift before.  I made my calls to my family like I do every year to make sure they received the gifts I had sent and wish them a Merry Christmas.  Afterwards we  headed over to my wife’s parent’s house and when we got there most everyone else was already there. They were separating out gifts some wrapped and others were being wrapped by nieces and nephews, that I thought were for the family. But as the separation of gifts went on and on, I finally asked my wife what was going on. I had no idea that her family bought presents for needy families and delivered them on Christmas day. This is how it works….Each one of her brothers and sisters and their family adopt 2 families each for Christmas, they bring all the gifts to their parents house where they wrap them (secepts the gifts for kids) and set them under the tree. On Christmas day they separate them , the unwrapped presents just have one of the nieces or nephews names on them and handed to the child who’s name is on it to WRAP for ANOTHER CHILD! Then they pray for each family the gifts are going to, load them up in each of their vehicles and deliver them.  NONE of the gifts there were for her family!  WHAT THE HELL???

The tradition started before the kids were born, by my wife’s mother. Her and my father in-law never gave each other a gift. As the children came, they bought one gift each for their own children, and the rest for needy families in their community. My wife’s parents wanted to instill in their children that Christmas is truly about GIVING and not receiving. When their kids became adults they each kept the tradition alive by doing the same with their own children.

When my wife was buying gifts for her nieces and nephews I had no idea those gifts were actually to be gifts from her nieces and nephews to other children and NOT them. I never notices the name tags saying FROM _____ instead of to ______. I didn’t really think about how all the gifts bought for kids weren’t wrapped but just tagged and placed under the tree. What surprised me the most was how excited each of her nieces and nephews were at each gift they received to GIVE AWAY to SOME OTHER KID!

I am not sure how I feel about the tradition, but I do know never in my life have I ever seen nor heard of anything like this. The gifts that I had bought for each of my wife’s nieces and nephews they opened and thankful for, but I heard each one of them say something along these lines after opening their gifs “Oh, I bet so and so would have really liked this too.”

My gifts were the only gifts (except for the ONE present each from their parents) that my wife’s nieces and nephews actually received.

I am not sure I like the idea, but they love it and I guess that is okay with me. EXCEPT when we have children of our own…I don’t know that I want my children thinking it is their place to support other peoples kids. I didn’t voice this to my wife at the time as I sat in utter shock while everyone was working to prepare the gift giveaway. Nor afterwards when all the gifts had been delivered and each family returned to share in a Christmas dinner. BUT when we arrived home I said to my wife I didn’t really want our children to only receive just one gift on Christmas. What if I feel like buying them more gifts on Christmas? What if the caveman happens to like the idea of family sharing gifts with EACH OTHER??

 My wife smiled and just shrugged “Joe, you can buy our children gifts all year long. But they need to know that Christmas is about giving NOT receiving and the only way to instill that in them is by practicing what you preach. In my family we know Christmas time is about family being together, and being thankful for what God has given us, and sharing that with others.”

I feel like I just spent Christmas in the Twilight Zone and I am still waiting to read the ending credits or something. 

I knew her family was religious, and a bit strange to me. I knew they didn’t believe in telling their kids about Santa (what’s Christmas without SANTA?)… but damn this is just INSANE!

 

 

Well the caveman now wants to know HOW DO YOU feel about this tradition my wife’s family has every year for Christmas?

What kind of Christmas traditions does your family or families have?

You can read more caveman’s perspectives from lawman Just A Caveman