Santa Claus or Not?


I remember the childhood magic of Santa Claus.

Setting out cookies & milk on Christmas Eve. Feeling like I would burst with anticipation as I could hardly sleep that night. Sneaking down to the tree before it was light on the 25th. It was magical.

At some point the bubble burst. Without any fanfare or explanation I found out (probably during recess) that Santa isn’t real. It was all made up.

I soon saw the handwriting on the gifts as proof.  My friends had enlightened me to the truth. My parents lied.

Different people may respond to this revelation differently.  I internalized it as being deceived.  It hurt.  My parents never talked to me about it. I saw them keep up the charade with my younger sister for a few years until we all ‘outgrew’ it.  As a teen I was quite jaded about all the lies in the world. Jesus was  just another made up figure like the Tooth Fairy and, you guessed it, Santa Claus.

Fast forward to me becoming, by God’s grace, a Christian at 21 and a new mom a few years later.   It was our turn to be the parents and choose how we would raise our children in an upbringing different from our own.

Everything was being evaluated through a different lens – movies, books, playdates, time, even food choices!  Then came Christmas with children old enough to engage with the idea of Santa and I was conflicted.

I had since learned the history of Saint Nicholas, a devout 3rd century Christian who supposedly gave gifts to the poor. I had also learned the mostly Western Coca Cola based marketing ploy that developed the jolly fat man with 8 reindeer who has filled most children books, cartoons and imaginations in my time.

After discussing it at length with my husband we came to the conclusion that trust & honesty between parent & child were more important to us than playing what we see as a well intended and risky game.  We chose to point to the true Giver of Gifts, the Reason for the Season, the Hope of the World: Jesus.

We put a lot of fun and anticipation into Christmas with our calendar countdown, the tree, the baking and our obvious joy through the season. One year, when our first four children were little, we baked a chocolate cake, put candles and icing on it that said “Happy Birthday Jesus” and ate it for breakfast on the 25th. The kids LOVED it!

 

As they got older we coached them on how other people choose to play a ‘Santa Game’ about a magical imaginary person who puts presents under the tree. It’s really mommy and daddy who love you very much. They have seen (and we happily own!) The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and a few other popular Christmas books & films that stubbornly stick to the “Santa IS REAL” idea.

We simply let them know that just like Paw Patrol is make believe so is the modern idea of Santa Claus.  Occasionally, they have blurted it out with other children.   We coach them on keeping how we do Christmas just for our family. That it’s other families' choice how they raise their children. No shame or pride. Just the facts.

Santa is, in my opinion, a substitute for many to the true wonder of Christmas that captivates hearts & minds world over.  The hope of true peace with God and man. It may be just for fun for some and if you do Santa then I would encourage you to be the one to break it to your children when they are old enough to wonder why there are 2 stories – one false, one true. As a Christian, why did you choose to impress upon them something you knew to be false? I’m sure there are children who were unperturbed by this well intended parenting/holiday choice. There are others though in whom a seed of doubt has been planted.

Let them know the TRUE wonder of Christmas – the wonder of the Incarnation. The beauty of Christ. The power of the Cross.  Their trust in you is worth its weight in gold and will bear more fruit than the momentary fun of a make believe game.

____________________________

 

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