Anyone who knows you will tell you that I’m the sort of Mum who loves to bake and craft with my child in the run-up to Christmas.
Or at least… they will tell you that if I pay them enough money.
The truth is I can’t cook very well. I have precisely one Christmas craft (snow globes) and one Christmas recipe (Bauble Cookies) in my repertoire. I’ve also tried this lovely ice craft from Boo Berritt, and it’s a good one!
Fortunately Flea seems to have inherited my fundamental disinterest in being good at crafts. There’s not much I find less entertaining than cutting things up and sticking them together. Except possibly things involving glitter. Nothing involving glitter ever ended well, in my experience.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so pleased the cub group Flea goes to takes part in a Christmas card making project each October. At one of our autumn meetings, the kids sit down with pens and pencils and glitter, and draw Christmas cards. The website turns these designs into a Christmas card, which are then given to parents so we can order personalised Christmas cards in time for the festive season, featuring our child’s design – AND raise money for the cubs at the same time.
Amazing, right?
Now, I’m all about letting children be creative on their own terms, so I didn’t interfere with Flea’s picture last year. She drew a lovely snowman and a (slightly wonky) MERRY CHRISTMAS sign. Adorable.
This year?
Well, the Father Christmas and the kitten-sized reindeer are adorable, to be sure.
But what’s that picture on the stocking, there, over the fireplace?
“It’s a cross, Mummy,” explained Flea.
Oh.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but thinking it looks a little bit like, well, like a swastika, to be frank.
And now I’m faced with the dilemma of all dilemmas.
Do I not buy the festive-nazi Christmas cards and risk being a terrible parent and not valuing her creativity, or do I buy and send the cards and risk offending all our friends and family?
Or do I buy the cards and send them to people we’re not all that keen on?
What would you do?
mwahahahaha have her turn it into a snowflake?
I can’t edit a masterpiece like this! Can I?
Spat my tea on my keyboard AGAIN, I’m suing you this time. Bless her, buy it, nobody else will notice – and if they do they won’t be rude enough to point it out…maybe.
I bought a packet. I think family will see the funny side. Probably.
Oh my word, this made me laugh!
Thanks Lesley!
Stick a cheery christmas sticker on it and move on!!! That way everyone will think their card was personalised… Now that’s a win!!!
Genius idea – if only I can get Flea to go along with it…
On the plus side, the symbol itself was used for thousands of years as a sacred symbol of auspiciousness before it became associated with the Nazis, and is still widely used in Indian religions, so you could just think of it as a multicultural, multifaith card.
Or just go with the sticker idea – that sounds like the best solution…
That’s very good. Maybe that’s what Flea was really aiming for?
What Dan said! There is a church in Preston which is 19th Century that has swastikas all over it. To me, it looks more cross like than swastika like.
Nice spot!
Its OK, a swastika going one way is a Nazi symbol – going the other way is means “auspicious” in Hinduism. If anyone asks its a multicultural card!
Ooh, I like that theory.
Fabulous opportunity to apply glitter to the cross and add your/ Flea’s own little extra touch. You can have a lot of fun with glitter glue, if you don’t want to cover every surface of house in glitter. Or the recipient’s house, for that matter.
No, no, no to glitter! *stern glare*
Oh that’s just too funny – you’re spot on with it resembling a swastika. How about you buy a single pack (ticking off that helpful raise money for cubs thing) and just give the few you do get to family who you can explain the card too.
Still, very funny – next time get her to stick to using finger paints PMSL. You can’t go wrong with that can you?
I did indeed buy a single pack. Am now Mother of the Year, clearly.
“aw sorry Flea, the cards don’t seem to have arrived on time, we’ll have to use these ones instead!” – sorry, I always seem to resort to white lies.
Or the sticker idea is a good one! Ha, oh my!
hahaha. Evil.
It DOES look like a swastika…
You have to buy some I think, otherwise you are a Bad Parent. (I have learnt this lesson the hard way…).
You could always add a casual PS to the cards – ‘Sorry about the Nazis, hope you have a great Christmas!’ That sort of thing.
Oh perish the thought that I should be a bad parent *cough*
And I like the idea of a cheery PS.
It is a swastika, your daughter is clearly making a post modern statement about the oppression of Christmas and erm, yeah you have to buy them.
Post-modern, eh? I could go along with that…
I genuinely spat out my tea laughing! I’m billing you for a new keyboard.
We’re broke. Spent all my money buying up Nazi Christmas cards.