“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to ask one of my five-year-old friends if she knew the real meaning of Christmas. Her father, who happens to be my pastor, had belabored the necessity of making sure our kids did not mistake the commercialism of the season for the integral message of the birth of Jesus the week before. Feeling confident, I asked if she was excited about Christmas and if she could tell me what Christmas was all about. She beamed up at me, excited as any youngster and breathed one word, “Presents.”
Even with the best of intentions focusing on the love of Jesus during the Christmas season can be daunting. From stores to stockings to loving grandparents, children are surrounded with the possibility of gifts and more gifts. The baby in the manger may have a touching appeal but the man in the red suit offers tangible stuff kids want now, fostering a what’s in it for me attitude that defies the very meaning of Christmas.
Kris Kringle, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and St. Nicholas are all names for the same perfectly human man, a kind and generous man from all reports, but only a man. Legends differ, with some saying his goal was to help impoverished children by leaving goodies in stockings and others insisting his goal was to help poor young women escape a life of prostitution by leaving gold in stockings. Either way, his intent was noble, generous and entirely selfless. In all probability this man was following the selfless, loving sacrifice of the Savior, pointing to Jesus.
So how did we end up so many miles away from a celebration of God sending his son to save us? How did a simple man emulating the love of Christ become a symbol of selfishness and commercialism? How did a sacred holy day become a secular holiday?
Part of that answer is fiction. As with the legends of St. Nicholas, legends and stories handed down from generation to generation have become so intertwined with the reality of Jesus’s birth that it can be difficult for children (who become adults) to discern what is really true.
A few years ago I was teaching an elementary Sunday School class filled with children who had been in church all their short lives. They had heard the Nativity Story multiple times and I needed to find a way to make it fresh for them. I started by asking them what they knew about the Christmas story. They began slowly, but as they got rolling I was amazed at all the details they truly believed. Details about a dancing, singing bird and a scary man with ferocious dogs. Details about a talking sheep and a donkey who disliked Joseph but was devoted to Mary. Details that I recognized from the animated movie, The Star. These kids knew that story, and it sort of followed the Biblical story of the nativity, but it added a few side stories that the kids had taken on as gospel truth.
As adults we understand fiction to be the opposite of non-fiction. If non-fiction is expected to be truthful and realistic, fiction is accepted as made up and not wholly realistic. Fiction can be fun to read, but we don’t base our beliefs on fiction. Sadly, children have been so immersed in the fiction of Santa Claus that their faith in the reality of Jesus suffers.
So how do we celebrate the season in a meaningful, fun way, without sending mixed signals that confuse children and frustrate adults? Looking around my kitchen I see nativity sets, an advent wreath, Christmas gnomes, snowmen and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, in miniature of course! It is an eclectic mix of decorating that my kids and grandchildren enjoy. There are candles and special lights, cookies and specialty cocoa packets at the ready. In the living room stands a tree already decorated, standing watch over wrapped presents. What message am I sending to my grandchildren?
Hopefully, prayerfully, a message of joy and hope and truth and love. Joy in that I want them to see that Jesus is a reason to celebrate. Jesus created color and emotion and the very idea of creativity, so all the decorations and lights and fictional stories that we tell at Christmas can be seen as a fun means of play and joy.
Hope in that we anticipate not only the birth of Jesus but His return. Presents can be a great object lesson about hope. Kids can wish for things, can anticipate getting a present, and can rejoice in a few gifts on Christmas day. Learning to wait patiently for the fulfillment of a promise is a good skill.
Truth in that we discuss what is fiction and what is non-fiction. I love the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The Grinch is one of my favorite characters, along with Ebenezer Scrooge. These characters grow and change and teach wonderful lessons. But they are not real, and my grandchildren and I talk about the difference between enjoying our favorite characters and believing in the real Jesus.
Finally, I hope my family gets the message of love as we celebrate this season. Gifts specifically selected to show we know and care about each unique family member show love. Time spent reading and singing and snuggling during movies shows love. Game playing and big, loud family dinners, as well as moments with just one special person show love. Taking gifts to those in need, working at shelters or food pantries shows love.
My prayer is that you will take some time to consider the way you celebrate Christmas. What message are you sending, intentionally or unintentionally? Are you sharing the truth and love of Jesus with those you know and love?
At my house we find a lot of joy in sharing special food with those we love. A dear friend of mine gave me a cookbook from Minnesota, hoping I would try the Kringle recipe, and perhaps share the results. One of my favorite holiday traditions is baking with my children and grandchildren, packaging home made treats up and sharing them with others. I have modified the Kringle recipe and it is an amazing treat to give as a Christmas present of love.
This recipe comes from the Minnesota Cookbook. I have completely changed the filling and use an extra cup of flour to get the consistency Iof dough that is easy to work with. The dough is still soft and a little tricky to seal as you will see in my pictures. It is important to get the dough sealed so the filling stays inside the Kringle!
Lingonberry Almond Kringle
- 1 Tbsp yeast
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup warm milk
- 3/4 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
- 5 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
Filling
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 oz almond paste
- lingonberry jam
Glaze
- confectionary sugar
- milk
- sliced almonds
Dissolve yeast in hot water in a glass measuring cup. When bubbly, add it to stand mixing bowl with sugar, eggs, milk, butter and orange rind. Blend until smooth, then add salt and flour, beat until smooth. Dough will be very soft. Scrape dough from sides making sure all dough is in the middle of the bowl. Cover and let rise for an hour, until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down with a quick in and out movement to avoid getting sticky! and allow to rise again about 30 minutes.
Make filling during first rise by adding softened butter, eggs and sugar to a stand mixing bowl. Beat until frothy. Then add almond paste, little bits at a time. Allow this mixture to beat until smooth. This will take some time. You may end up with little lumps of almond paste. That is fine, beat until it is the consistency you like.
Divide dough in half. On floured parchment paper, roll each half into an oblong shape. Spread 1/2 of the almond filling in the center of each oblong dough. Top this with lingonberry jam. Lifting the parchment paper, fold one side over the middle. Do the same with the other side until the filling is encased in dough. Seal the edges well. This can be tricky! My filling has a tendency to leak out.
Carefully maneuver dough into a crescent shape.
Place in warm area, cover and allow to rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 375* for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden brown.
Allow to cool. Mix confectionary sugar and milk until you have a glaze that will pour over the surface of the Kringle. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
As you can see from the pictures, I did not seal mine well enough and the filling leaked to the outside. It was delicious, and i opted to use it as a topping. It cleaned up well and tasted great. Don’t let mistakes become failures, figure a way to make them work!
I was able to cut around each Kringle and salvage the filling. Drizzling the glaze over filling gave it a special appearance.
Kringles make excellent Christmas gifts!