Santa Clause

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Some say that Santa Claus is innocent childhood fun, others say it detracts from the true meaning of Christmas. Thoughts?
 
Santa CLAUS is a myth based upon St. Nicholas. Some people don’t like him, most thinking people don’t like the commercialism of him. HOWEVER, most people like the whole idea, and there is no irrepairable harm caused by having ones children believe in Santa or St. Nick.

A Santa CLAUSE is a group of words containing a Christmas noun and Chrsitmas verb, creating a seasonal greeting.😉
 
contemplative said:
S-a-i-n-t N-i-c-h-o-l-a-s points directly to Christmas.
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My mother, when confronted with Santa Claus, always replied “St. Nicholas does not have reindeer or live at the North Pole”

We know where the myth came from, we know who it was based on, my question was:

Who hear believes it wrong to teach children that a mystical fat man will (assisted by elves) make and deliver toys via magical deer?
 
I don’t think it hurts a bit. Those who claim to be so hurt when they found out their parents “lied” to them probably have deeper issues they are denying.

The elves do kinda scare me though. :eek:
 
It’s interesting that you brought this up at the time that you did. I’ve recently been thinking about that. I found a very useful website to help redirect our family’s attention away from Santa Claus and back to St. Nicholas:

stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38

This poem is from the kids’ section on that website:

SANTA AND ST. NICHOLAS

Santa Claus is round and plump;
St. Nicholas is tall and thin.
Santa Claus wears a stocking cap;
St. Nicholas wears a bishop’s hat.
Santa Claus comes December 25th;
St. Nicholas comes December 6th.

Santa Claus is often seen in stores;
St. Nicholas is often seen in churches.
Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth, caring for those in need.
Santa Claus, for some, replaces Jesus at Christmas;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to Jesus at Christmas.
Santa Claus isn’t bad;
St. Nicholas is just better!
 
Next we’ll be hearing that the Easter bunny is a myth too…my goodness…will it ever stop??
Kathy
 
We had both Santa and Saint Nicholas at our house (both when I was a child, and when my son was a child). There was no conflict between the fun aspect of the Santa Claus myth and the true meaning of Christmas. We never confused the two.

When my son was old enough, we had The Talk about Santa, and I explained that we used the myth of Santa to demonstrate the joy of giving gifts anonymously, selflessly, and joyfully. He understood completely, and embraced the concept.

'thann
 
Santa Clause is a living myth !

Using and demonstrating Santa Claus is wonderful entrance into the work of Mystery. It is a unique and tangible way to show the spirit of Christmas Giving.

Children can grasp that in stories about Santa at the North Pole and see it in action on Christmas morning.

When they eventually learn the truth it becomes and initiation into the mystery. A true rite of passage where they now have the opportunity to “play” Santa for others.

Parents and family members that teach about Santa and play the Santa role - for that one brief night act

"in persona Santa"

This is a practice in preparation for the true mysteries of God.

A “living Metaphor” that can be used as a foundation for teaching about the True Meaning of Christmas.

My family is still full of Santa mystery.

I learned the truth at 9 years old. By the time I was 20 yrs I was dressed in a Santa Suit and had the younger cousins on my lap on Christmas Eve.

We still wave at Santa at the Christmas parade.

In short, my family still believes in Santa Claus.

tjp
 
I like to think that whoever has Christmas spirit has a little “Santa Clause” in them, so I guess in a way,Santa Clause does exist,
 
We didn’t want our children to think that we lied to them, so we always told them that Santa Claus was a nice story…but just a story, not real. We also told them that the story was based on a real saint…Saint Nicolas.
 
I can’t stand what Christmas has become, instead of deep meaningful appreciation for Jesus, it has become (for the majority of our culture) a gluttonous consuming bonanza.

Kids make lists of hundreds of dollars worth of overpriced junk that we as parents foolishly buy. Then tell them some absurd story of Santa Claus flying around giving toys out to good boys and girls with flying reigndeer etc…(this has nothing to do with Christ IMO at all)

I love Christmas season, however I love the season itself, the celebration of Christmas with family, attending Church etc… Blowing $1,000’s on useless gifts albeit well marketed gifts, and lying to my children about Santa Claus I can do without.
 
Saint_Michael said:
I can’t stand what Christmas has become, instead of deep meaningful appreciation for Jesus, it has become (for the majority of our culture) a gluttonous consuming bonanza.
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I shall second you opinion about how I perceive “other people” and the media celebrating.

But, I would like to share a little exchange to express my feeling on all the secular things tied to Christmas…
Charles Dickens:
‘What else can I be,’ returned the uncle, ‘when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas. What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,’ said Scrooge indignantly,‘every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!’

‘Uncle!’ pleaded the nephew.

‘Nephew!’ returned the uncle, sternly, ‘keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.’

‘Keep it!’ repeated Scrooge’s nephew. ‘But you don’t keep it.’

‘Let me leave it alone, then,’ said Scrooge. ‘Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!’

‘There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!’
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In short, If things are done right with the proper spirit we should be able to have all of the Sacred Traditions and the Secular Trappings of Christmas… as a witness to the world - In a language that they can understand.

Sure it has been abused — I can only control myself and my family.

And God Bless them that they are at least, “keeping Christmas in their own way.” Rather than “leaving it alone” completely.

Merry Christmas Everyone. - Tiny Tim Cratchet

tjp
 
Saint_Michael said:
I can’t stand what Christmas has become, instead of deep meaningful appreciation for Jesus, it has become (for the majority of our culture) a gluttonous consuming bonanza.

Kids make lists of hundreds of dollars worth of overpriced junk that we as parents foolishly buy. Then tell them some absurd story of Santa Claus flying around giving toys out to good boys and girls with flying reigndeer etc…(this has nothing to do with Christ IMO at all)

I love Christmas season, however I love the season itself, the celebration of Christmas with family, attending Church etc… Blowing $1,000’s on useless gifts albeit well marketed gifts, and lying to my children about Santa Claus I can do without.
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I agree with you, although I think that problem isn’t just limited to Christmas. One way I deal with the larger problem is that I only buy my kids toys for Christmas and birthdays, that way getting something new is actually something special.

Incidentally, my kids have never really been “into” Santa Clause. The younger two have no interest in sitting on his lap or writing him letters.

I think at Christmas time it is nice to bring out the advent wreath, light the candles, and say grace when you sit down to dinner. I think it kind of naturally keeps things in the right perspective, so that the whole family can enjoy all of the aspects of the season.

To be honest, I love buying presents for people. I love wrapping them so that even something little seems special. I love planning special meals and spending extra time with the people that are important with me.
 
I remember many years back when the “church lady” on Saturday Night Live (Dana Garvey, I think) was talking about Christmas.

Now whooo would it beee who … (and then “she” listed several things about Christmas such as the greed it brings.)

Then she guessed: could it beee…

Satan?? At that point she moved the “n” in “Santa” to the end of the word to unveil the culprit. 😃

Alan
 
rr1213 said:
We didn’t want our children to think that we lied to them, so we always told them that Santa Claus was a nice story…but just a story, not real. We also told them that the story was based on a real saint…Saint Nicolas.
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The thing that always troubled me most was learning that the common “Santa” image was created by Coca Cola.

Next are we going to have the Michelin Man represent Pentecost?
 
rr1213 said:
We didn’t want our children to think that we lied to them, so we always told them that Santa Claus was a nice story…but just a story, not real. We also told them that the story was based on a real saint…Saint Nicolas.
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That is what we told our children. Santa is harmless…it’s a good segway into Saint Nicholas as they get older.
 
Julianna said:
That is what we told our children. Santa is harmless…it’s a good segway into Saint Nicholas as they get older.
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Actually I could use some explanation of that. How does a fat, jolly man in a red suit who has magic woodland creatures flying him around the world serve as a good segway into a kind Bishop who helped people?
 
TimOliv said:
Actually I could use some explanation of that. How does a fat, jolly man in a red suit who has magic woodland creatures flying him around the world serve as a good segway into a kind Bishop who helped people?
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When you are speaking to a 5 yr old, St. Nicholas may come across as a dry history lesson. However, since toddlerhood, most kids stories are of the fanciful, fairytale type…so giving up the fantasy won’t be easy on a child of this age. Now, when this child gets into catechism and starts learning about the saints…St. Nicholas is bound to come up. He/she will then realize that Santa is story, and St. Nicholas was very real.

Don’t be a spoiled sport. My daughter’s fiancee is on your line of thinking. He doesn’t even want a Christmas tree. Geez louise…get a grip. I got over Santa by the time I was 9, and rec’d no emotional scars from it.
 
Julianna said:
When you are speaking to a 5 yr old, St. Nicholas may come across as a dry history lesson. However, since toddlerhood, most kids stories are of the fanciful, fairytale type…so giving up the fantasy won’t be easy on a child of this age. Now, when this child gets into catechism and starts learning about the saints…St. Nicholas is bound to come up. He/she will then realize that Santa is story, and St. Nicholas was very real.

Don’t be a spoiled sport. My daughter’s fiancee is on your line of thinking. He doesn’t even want a Christmas tree. Geez louise…get a grip. I got over Santa by the time I was 9, and rec’d no emotional scars from it.
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So by your logic, we shouldn’t teach young kids about Jesus since he might come across as a “dry history lesson,” perhaps we should invent a character to serve as a segway into Jesus. I recommend Superman, he does have many of the same qualities exhibited by Jesus afterall but he’s way more FUN for kids!
 
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