“Daddy,” my youngest asked me on Christmas Eve, “why do we give presents on Christmas?”

I think he was just stalling, trying to delay going to bed, but it seemed a reasonable question. “Because it’s Jesus’s birthday,” I answered, “and-”

“I know, I know!” the 7-year old interrupted. “We give presents because the wise men did.”

“What?”

“Yeah, they gave Frankenstein to the baby Jesus and he loved it so much…” He trailed off at my expression.

I raised my hands in the classic Frankenstein pose. “Rarr! Jesus! Rarr!”

“Da-addy,” he shouted. “It was a toy Frankenstein!”

“Either that,” I said. “Or we give them to celebrate his birthday. He wanted us to love one another. So on his birthday, we give each other presents to show that love.”

They looked at me doubtfully.

“Or you could go with the Frankenstein, thing,” I said, getting up. ”But now it’s time to go to sleep.”

I’m looking forward to answering the same question again next year.