To give than to receive

Yesterday the question of the day in Monkey's classroom was "What do you like most about gifts?" with options of "Giving them", "Getting them", or "Both." I read the question out, and while he pondered the matter, took the opportunity to expound quickly on the merits of giving, on how lovely it is to make others happy, yada yada... Without further hesitation, he plumped for "Getting them." I made a mental note that it might be time for us to have The Talk again. The one about the meaning of Christmas.

So this afternoon on the way to Target to pick up a couple more presents (one of which being an advance bribe for the booster flu shot Monkey has to get next week), I reminded him that we give presents at Christmas as well as getting them, and asked him if he could think why we might do that. He drew a blank. I mentioned how nice it is to show our friends and family that we love them by giving them thoughtful gifts.

Then I had to go and bring Jesus into it. (Atheism is hard, says Heathen Barbie.)
"Do you remember whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas?"
"No."
"Baby Jesus. Remember the story of the nativity?" (We have a gorgeous edition with beautiful pictures and very high-falutin' words. This one, actually.)
"Oh, yeah. Is that real? Did he exist in real life?"
"Yes. Yes, we know that he did, almost certainly. Even if the story didn't happen exactly like in the book." I try to be scrupulously honest when explaining God and religion, but it's complicated when you're an agnostic Catholic trying to pay due respect to matters of fact vs faith and probable vs propaganda.
"Oh wow. Oh wow." Clearly bowled over by this amazing fact/fiction crossover.

That was the easy part. Now how to get from there, across the minefield of God/Son of God; bypassing the whole died-for-our-sins aspect, into which I so did not want to get; to the point, whatever the heck it was, in simple terms and preferably in a single, pithy sentence so as not to lose his already-wandering attention. I leapt across the great schism straight to "... and he was a very good man who wanted everyone to be nice to each other, so we give each other presents at Christmas." Feeble.

After a little more in this vein, we were about to enter the hallowed aisles of Target, so I thought I'd wrap it up for now with a final pop quiz.
"So why do you think it's nice to give presents at Christmas?"
"Because then I'll get presents back."

Note to self: Try again tomorrow.