Santa Claus and Christmas Trees

[tossolul]

Lately, something has been bothering me about these two things. It seems that in a way they can easily overshadow the true meaning (Christs Birth), and take the focus away from Jesus in our children.

As my son asks me questions about Santa, and I find myself not knowing the correct lie to tell him- I suddenly realize, instead of us having this time to talk about Jesus and His birth, I am having to sin by lying to my son, and fostering a falsehood and interest in a fictitous character that has nothing to do with advent.

We should be talking about how important it is to ready ourselves for Christs coming through reconciliation and thinking of ways to better ourselves as gifts to the baby Jesus, rather than getting them excited about receiving material presents and discussing how old Santa must be, and how he can possibly make it into our house since we don’t have a chimney.

As I was thinking about this- I also thought about how important having a beautiful Christmas tree has always been for me. We were considering going out and purchasing a real one this year instead of our artificial one we’ve had for years. Then I started thinking…is it really right to spend so much time and money decorating a tree? We could use that money for other more important things. Not that having a tree in itself is bad, but to me it seems that the focus is off. We all sit around a tree, and look at how beautiful it is. What can that tree really do for us? It seemed almost wrong to me. It seemed more that we should be thinking of Jesus/God and looking at how beautiful they are and how wonderous. There is the song…O Christmas Tree. Maybe I’m missing something but what can that wooden tree really do for us.

Then I opened my bible up to a page and started reading. It was Jeremiah, chapter 10. This seemed to really correlate with the thoughts that were already going through my mind.

Jeremiah, ch 10

God and Idols

Hear what the Lord says to you, O house of Israel. THis is what the Lord says:

"Do not learn the ways of the nations, or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.

For the customs of the people are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols connot speak; htey must be carried because they cannot walk…"

So I guess what I’m asking is- Is it wrong for us to teach our children about santa, and put such a focus on Christmas trees?

 

[genealogist]

There is another post that says the JWs think this verse condemns Christmas Trees. No, I do not think Santa and the Christmas Tree take away from Christmas and Jesus’ Birth. No more than the Blessed Mother and intercessory prayer to the saints takes away from God.

Each has his place. We must strive to keep the religious aspects in the tree and Santa but they do not automatically take your eyes off Christ.

 

[ProudArmyWife]

If you look at the branches of the Evergreen tree you will find crosses everywhere.

 

[Della]

Hear what the Lord says to you, O house of Israel. THis is what the Lord says:

"Do not learn the ways of the nations, or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.

For the customs of the people are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols connot speak; htey must be carried because they cannot walk…"

So I guess what I’m asking is- Is it wrong for us to teach our children about santa, and put such a focus on Christmas trees?

These verses have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas trees. Since when do we “shape it with his chisel?” These verses talk about making idols not about hanging decorations on a tree. Idol makers would crave a figure out of wood and then overlay it with silver or gold, thus making an image of a god or goddess. Nothing of the kind is done with a Christmas tree.

Santa is only a secularization of St. Nicholas, whose feast day we celebrate tomorrow, as it happens. He is the patron saint of children and since his feast day comes so close to Christmas, veneration of him has a long tradition of being celebrated as a sort of opening salvo to the celebrations of Christmas. So, you can quite truthfully tell you son that there is a real Santa Claus–his name is St. Nicholas and he does bring good things to good boys and girls–he brings God’s graces. His history and traditional celebrations surrounding the celebration of his feast day are easy to find on the internet.

As for the Christmas tree, it was another saint, St. Boniface, who introduced the evergreen tree as a symbol of everlasting life in Germany at a time when they were pagans and worshiped oak trees. He was the one who ended their false worship and brought Christ to them. Bringing fir trees indoors and decorating them as a part of celebrating Christmas came later. So, there is nothing wrong with having a Christmas tree or of believing in Santa. Both are good ways of bringing the message of generosity, hope, and good will to our children, as well as teach them about the eternal life Christ brought to us in his Incarnation.

 

[CatholicSam]

I don’t think that verse is talking about Christmas trees, but about wooden idols made from trees (you don’t chisel a tree, and they don’t look like “scare crows”). But who am I to make an accurate interpretation of the Bible? I do believe that the Holy Spirit may be talking to you. I have been feeling a lot like you lately (see my post in Popular Media about Santa Clause is Coming to Town). I think people have been raised a certain way and get defensive when someone questions whether that way is really the BEST way to do things. You are not going to find an answer in these forums. I certainly find nothing wrong with eliminating Santa and a Christmas tree from your family celebration of Christmas. Have you heard of the Advent tradition of decorating a Jesse Tree? Have you considered celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas? These are two ways to keep with the real meaning of Advent and still have a beautiful tree and “Santa” in a sense. www.catholicculture.org has some wonderful ideas that are Christ-centered If your heart is telling you to steer toward a Christ-centered Christmas, go for it!!!

 

[Rebecca_New]

I have worked in a long term care facility for 12 years and this is the first Christmas we have had a Nativity scene as focus point in our decoration. Everyone loves the Nativity, St. Francis would be (or should I say is) happy with this! We have santa’s and Christmas trees all over the place, and light galore. It is a very bright nurse’s station this year!

 

[Della]

CatholicSam:

I don’t think that verse is talking about Christmas trees, but about wooden idols made from trees (you don’t chisel a tree, and they don’t look like “scare crows”). But who am I to make an accurate interpretation of the Bible? I do believe that the Holy Spirit may be talking to you. I have been feeling a lot like you lately (see my post in Popular Media about Santa Clause is Coming to Town). I think people have been raised a certain way and get defensive when someone questions whether that way is really the BEST way to do things. You are not going to find an answer in these forums. I certainly find nothing wrong with eliminating Santa and a Christmas tree from your family celebration of Christmas. Have you heard of the Advent tradition of decorating a Jesse Tree? Have you considered celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas? These are two ways to keep with the real meaning of Advent and still have a beautiful tree and “Santa” in a sense. www.catholicculture.org has some wonderful ideas that are Christ-centered If your heart is telling you to steer toward a Christ-centered Christmas, go for it!!!

The whole problem isn’t Santa or Christmas trees but with putting them into their proper perspective. Read my post to see what I mean.

And as far as not having a Christmas tree in favor of a Jesse tree, why make it a either/or sort of choice. Decorate your Christmas tree during Advent as a Jesse tree, with purple, adding rose at Guadete Sunday and then redecorate for Christmas on Christmas Eve. You don’t have to put a lot of Advent decorations on and the kids will love getting to decorate the tree twice.

 

[wisdom_3_5]

When my girls (6 and 3) ask questions about Santa I tell them facts about St. Nicholas. When he lived, where he lived, he was a bishop of the Church etc. Maybe they’re not old enough to see the inconsistancies with his age and how he gets to all the houses etc. but its just something to have fun with right now. My 6 year old knows the difference between real and pretend. She knows Jesus is real and to a certain extent that Santa is pretend, but she still has fun with it.