And I repeat, if someone’s child spoke of the Christ Child coming to their house and leaving presents, another CULTURAL CHRISTMAS MYTH, would you disabuse that child as well, and excuse youself with, “I am not obligated to perpetuate the lie.”?
Nice
I completely agree with you. And at the same time, I keep rereading the OP, and it sounds like the priest was commenting on today’s commercial image of Santa, and how he has not always looked like that.
I don’t know why people take their kids to a Catholic Mass and expect the priest to say Santa is real. He shouldn’t have said anything at all, but i were a Santa-promoting parent 
and that had happened at my church, I would have explained to my kids what the priest meant about the image of Santa, and how it’s just a picture, and he can look like whatever you want him to. Gah.
I wouldn’t tell them in EITHER case. However, if a Priest mentioned the lovely tradition during Mass, speaking of how he remembered his parents doing this for him and his siblings when he was little, that would ruin the “myth” too, wouldn’t it? A little child would miss it and the older child could be told he truth. It’s a lovely tradition, and one we don’t do, I would say “What a lovely tradition” to a child telling me about it…
whoa. Reread my original post.
uhhhh… you said this:
I know I said I was done, but I couldn’t let this pass. You yourself said you would tell a kid there is no Santa. So now why are you claiming you wouldn’t? People are reacting to your previous statement…No, but if they asked me I would tell them the truth. You see, we’re a family that doesn’t emphasis Santa. When you’re children are in public, there is no guarantee that others share your views of Santa (or anything else) and won’t say something about “no Santa”.
And I clarified, it depends on the context. However, IF a child was asking an honest question of me I can’t lie and ESP as a CCD teacher. I WILL NOT LIE in the classroom about St Nicholas and Santa.
How is it a lie to tell a child they need to talk to their parents about it? Give the parents their rights and prerogative! I am a CCD teacher too, and I would never step on parents that way. In fact, our Catechetical Director instructed us to leave that issue with the parents! If a child asked us, we were to tell them to talk to their parent about it. I do 6th grade, so not many Santa issues, but I would never disrespect a parent by taking over something that is in their sphere.
Oop, I did misread a bit, but it’s because YOUR title was MISLEADING. Sorry about that, though…this thread has certainly been derailed…
I agree that materialism/consumerism IS an important issue to address and relevant to address during a homily. However, Santa doesn’t need to be brought into it. My dd (4) knows that Santa only brings one toy per child. Her cousins received more from Santa and yes, I had to explain that mommy and daddy told Santa “only one” because we don’t want our dd to be a “spoiled brat” (and yes, I don’t hesitate to tell her what makes a spoiled brat or when she’s acting like one). But my dd also knows that God is the best, better than Santa, better than any one of us. We also made a birthday cake for Jesus. And when she starts whining about not getting more (acting spoiled) I ask, “what was the greatest Christmas gift? Was it a toy?” And her response every time (disappointed because I won’t give into her whining) is “Jesus was the best gift.” She also loves every creche she sees and knows the whole Christmas story (and tell everyone and anyone who will listen).
Which is what this is all about. This is NOT a matter of faith and morals, and that is why it should be taken to the bishop. Catholics are not sinning if they teach their children about Santa Claus. For the priest to present it as such is wrong, esp. in front of children. It is not within the priest’s purview to butt his nose into non-sin issues.I teach 6th as well, and you’d be surprised. Many don’t even know who St Nicholas IS, only Santa…
Dear, dear igator, it is time for the Order of St. Nicholas! My third child and I had a blast during Advent and Christmas “St. Nicking” our friends and those in need. Do a search on the subject, and you will see how I do it. Then you can adapt it to your family.I’ve meet all kinds of priests in my life. Vast majority were good men. Some were drunks and selfish jerks. They are men after all.
You bring up a question I’ve been dealing with. Why do we do this to our children? My son has just had his last Christmas where he believes in Santa. Now I have to lie to him? It is sweet and awesome to see the magic in their eyes when they are younger. It tears your heart out when they know it is not true.
I don’t understand this. Why would you lie to him? If he no longer literally believes in Santa, why would you keep it up? My oldest knows the truth, and my second one is getting there. I think he may just have had the last Christmas where he believes in Santa too. So, now with my oldest, and possibly him, we move on into the more grownup world where they know. My oldest really enjoys helping with “playing Santa” for her younger siblings. She asked me the other day if she now gets to help out with the Easter Bunny duties as well, and I said sure. Frankly, I am glad of the help!. Why do we do this to our children? My son has just had his last Christmas where he believes in Santa. Now I have to lie to him? It is sweet and awesome to see the magic in their eyes when they are younger. It tears your heart out when they know it is not true.
Seriously, we should all go back and reread the OP, because we are way off topic…
I always find it interesting that adults get so up in arms about children being told what they (the adults) acknowledge as a truth.
Equating the truth about Santa with “taking away fairy tales and folklore” is a straw man. Really? Let me ask the Logic and Philosophy professor directly across from me. He said, no, it is a statement of the truth, pure and simple. It is not a distortion. You might not like the result, but it is not a distortion, and therefore, not a straw man. If somebody came up to your kids and told them, “Hansel and Gretel isn’t a true story,” would you be angry? Probably not, because you have not based your holiday on such a story. You have not spent time and money, probably, into convincing your children that Hansel and Gretel are real. Hansel and Gretel are not tied to a particular time of year or practice. Santa Claus is tied to both.
Parents start the Santa myth in their families for whatever reasons: They had fond memories of it, they think it’s fun for the kids, they don’t want their kids to feel left out of a secular tradition, whatever. I think their anger over their children being told the truth is simply that now they will have to deal with their children knowing that they (the parents) did in fact mislead them with a fiction and pretended it was real. And again you are wrong. There will come a time when the children figure out for themselves. At that time, there are a variety of ways to tell them. I am not afraid of it at all. I am afraid of unSanta people, and their children, not allowing my children and my family to do as we deisre, while they live it out their own way, often (but not always) smug in the knowledge that they have “enlightened” my children.
We DO respect other families’ traditions. We have very close friends who celebrate Christmas with Santa as part of their traditions. I helped the mom shop to find a sleigh bell, because her son wanted a “bell off Santa’s sleigh”. I have instructed my own children to NOT enlighten other children, because it is up to their own parents to decide when to share the truth. See, you respect other people’s choices.
I don’t think the priest was out of line to discuss the commercialization of Christmas. It’s a timely message. Jesus is not present in the lines at the mall to see Santa. Most children’s first lesson about Christmas is “we get presents”.
I don’t understand this. Why would you lie to him? If he no longer literally believes in Santa, why would you keep it up? My oldest knows the truth, and my second one is getting there. I think he may just have had the last Christmas where he believes in Santa too. So, now with my oldest, and possibly him, we move on into the more grownup world where they know. My oldest really enjoys helping with “playing Santa” for her younger siblings. She asked me the other day if she now gets to help out with the Easter Bunny duties as well, and I said sure. Frankly, I am glad of the help!
My daughter (the oldest) now understands that the myth of Santa represents our love and desire to give nice things to one another. Not consumerism, but our true desire to give something to the ones we love to make them happy. That is what Santa is for those of us old enough to no longer believe in the myth.:bighanky:
So let your son move on, and grow up, and be Santa for others.