Chrisim light!

'Tis that time of the year! To set up a X-mas tree (I use X-mas because my niece here was asking "why do people say X-mas for Christmas"?) and decorate it with ornaments and glittering little lights...

We had a small Christmas tree set up the year KB was born. We had a musical toy with a remote that would play different instruments and KB would roll over and look at those each time it was turned on. My MIL was with us then and she too enjoyed turning on the music and looking at the little moving figures. Last year we did not set up a Christmas tree since my MIL had just passed away and somehow we were not in a mood for anything.

This year, when I was at my sister's place she set up their Christmas tree on the Thanksgiving weekend just so KB could see it. Since he is more grown up now, he is really excited by this concept of a tree in the house that is lit up at night. And all of a sudden houses in the neighborhood have plenty of lights and figures of Santa and Reindeer set up in the yard. So when we got back I somehow managed to go and buy a small (two feet) tree and set it up with small ornaments and lights.

KB calls it "Chrisim light" and "Chrisim tree". He loves to point out the different colors of "Onnament" we have on the tree. And the different little figures. Every evening when he comes downstairs from his nap, it is beginning to get dark outside. It is a source of great excitement for us (KB and me) to see if our neighbor (across the road) has turned the Chrisim light on or not.

"Uncle Chrisim light ON pannitar" KB will tell me, his eyes all wide with excitement.
We (KB and me) refer to the one man we saw in that house as "Uncle".
And then he says " Aunty innum ON pannle". (Aunty in the other house across from this one has not turned it on yet).
And when she turns it on, it is yet another round of excitement and I have to lift him up so he gets a good view of it.
I have to keep the lights on in our little tree when he is around. Little boss that he is, he will come downstairs and see that the lights are off and turn to me and bluntly say "Chrism light ON"! And I have to obey his majesty and turn it on.

Next year he will begin to understand the concept of Santa and gifts a little more I think. And then will begin the whole "What gift do I get for Christmas?"...But for now it is pure delight at the simple joys of the holiday season!

P.S - from Wikipedia:
The word "Christmas" originated as a contraction of "Christ's mass." It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.[1] In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ (Χριστός). Since the mid-sixteenth century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ.[2] Hence, "Xmas" is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.