Getting Personal

                Mum - The miracle of Christmas
            
                Who needs to worry about Christmas when Santa Claus is around? Indeed, old Saint Nicholas can surely take care of all that is important in the festive season – namely, Christmas gifts! Ok, so he may only work for one night a year and he arguably drinks substantially more than anyone ought to while at the reigns of flying reindeer, but surely he is the miracle of Christmas?

Well, as anyone who has ever turned on a television will testify, Christmas does not begin when Santa's Mr Kipling and Jack Daniels treats are positioned on the fireplace and nor is it wrapped up with a magical reindeer fly-by. Forget the twelve days of Christmas, too, or the advent calendar countdown. In fact, Christmas begins pretty much where the previous Christmas ends – and the only people who appear to truly appreciate this fact are mothers, cynics and career Santas.

Concentrating on the former, it is by no means a stretch to say that mums are the true miracle of Christmas. They plan, plot and purchase their way through the year in order to provide their family with the best possible Christmas gifts. This maternal prowess is something Santa will never have – unless, of course, he ever decides to emancipate Mrs Santa from her domestic duties at the toy factory and assuming that she is a mother, which raises some questions about how so many elves came into being… but on a serious note, mums are the primary reason why Christmas is made possible for so many families.

So, let's not ignore our mums. Justify their life-long efforts with Christmas gifts that reach to the heart. Let them know that they are loved too. Who knows, at very least it might earn you a more expensive present next year! 

Knowing we need to reward our mums is one thing; going about it is an entirely different matter. Young or old, rich or poor, children generally have no clue what Christmas gifts to buy for their parents. If your pocket money has been raided by the credit crunch, enough pennies can be scraped together – even on the tightest of budgets – for a personalised fridge magnet, calendar or snow globe. At this level, the gift itself is virtually meaningless – about 99.9 of the value attached to it will be sentimental. Unless the child is a multi-millionaire, in which case a Mum of the Year mug may not go down quite so well alongside alternative Christmas gifts! However, if there is one thing that just about all mothers enjoy doing, it is keeping photos – so, a family digital portrait in a personalised frame will usually hit the right notes. Just ensure that hair is brushed and clothes are ironed beforehand…

There is still a good chance of getting it wrong when it comes to choosing Christmas gifts and just because it's for mum does not mean that effort is not required. While many mums would be content with the gift of their child's happiness, untold joy can be brought where real effort is applied. This may involve spending the college fund or sales bonus on that dream African safari or backstage pass to see Julio Iglesias (or Enrique…) but, actually, it can be much less expensive - Much, much less. In fact, if we return to the contention that mums are the real miracle of Christmas and that their efforts are matched not even by Santa, surely the key is in making a similar effort. To this end, both children and adults can work towards collecting a keepsake book or box filled full of photos, memories, poems, and souvenirs that will have mums smiling inside and out for weeks after Christmas. Ok, invariably some mothers would prefer the Iglesias tickets but we're not all miracle-workers, are we?

Another popular Christmas gift for mums is a little time off. That does not mean time for a cup of tea in between roasting the Christmas dinner and cleaning up the carnage that follows. No, the miracle mum needs a real break. This could involve a weekend away at a luxury spa, or a romantic getaway with dad (or Iglesias, if you have followed this route) or whatever else can help take her mind and body away from the stresses of the festive season. From a vineyard wine tasting trip to a once-in-a-lifetime flying lesson, there will always be Christmas gifts out there to entertain your mum – but a little effort must be made to find that perfect one.

Christmas gifts come in different shapes and sizes, at all kinds of prices and carry entirely different expectations, but at Christmas there is only one miracle. Don't forget her!

Related article: Magical presents for a magical time of the year (Christmas Gifts)