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The Four Gifts of Christmas

Everyone has their Christmas and holiday traditions. Some are steeped back in years of history, others have a family connection. Most center around four precious wishes that Santa has the power to grant.

No matter who you are spending this Christmas with or how you will be celebrating, you can enhance your season by making sure you do your best to give and accept these four gifts from Santa. They don’t come in the form of a gift wrapped box, although they can be conveyed that way. They can be shared no matter where they are given or received. They provide strength all year long but can be particularly powerful during the holiday season. If Santa could only choose four gifts, he would likely give these.

Love. Love is the greatest gift of the four because without it, life itself would be difficult to sustain. There are wants, and there are needs. Love is not just a desire, it is a necessity of life. It also has a remarkable beauty about it because it is equally as powerful whether it is given or received. Santa knows this and that is why he takes such joy in giving it. Who wouldn’t be jolly with all that love to give? Love can be shown in many ways. It can be obvious or it can be subtle. It is always best when shared.

Generosity. How many cookies and how much milk does Santa really need? His motivation for giving is not to receive. Santa gets his greatest joy from listening to the wishes of children and helping delivering on those wishes. Sometimes Santa doesn’t always give you what you want, but he never gives you something you don’t need. Santa’s real gift of generosity manifests itself when we begin to really understand its power and practice it in our own lives. It is the feeling you get when you see the face on someone you care about open a gift you have chosen for them. It is the satisfaction you get when you help someone who won’t know it was you who helped them. You can almost feel it in the air this time of year and you should bask in it. It is one of Santa’s gifts and adults and children alike can enjoy it.

Hope. One of Santa’s greatest gifts is the ability to have us look forward to tomorrow, even when things may seem dim. It is in realizing that things may not always work out the way we envisioned them, but there are opportunities in challenges. Hope is what gives us the strength to move forward. Hope is the fuel of our dreams. Without the gift of hope, dark days could be insurmountable. With it, anything is possible.

Faith. This is the gift that is most likely to be lost first. We see it ebbing in our children when they question Santa’s very existence. Parents fear this loss of faith in their children, and may view it as a loss of innocence. It is a much greater loss than that. When a child losses his faith in Santa, he may lose his or her faith in the four great gifts. Because of faith, the true spirit of Santa lives on and continues to be a force in our holiday.

As we near Christmas, it is worthwhile to consider that the season is about so much more than where we spend it or what we receive. It is about the importance of love, generosity, hope and faith, and of family. At Wisconsin Dells, we are fortunate to see all types of families this time of year. We see families who are discovering the joy of spending time together in a fun, beautiful setting. We see the smiles of little faces as they enjoy our incredible decorations and snow covered scenery.

No matter where you are spending this Christmas, it is our desire that you consider these four gifts, talk about them, and share them with those closest to you. It may also be just as important to share them with those you don’t know.

From all of us at Wisconsin Dells, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. We also want you to know that if your holidays are changing, we would love to be a part of your new traditions. Come see what the holidays are all about at the Dells. Many have discovered the four gifts and more, right in our backyard. Feeling like you may be missing something? Perhaps its time you took a look, at spending some of your winter holiday in Wisconsin Dells.

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