Yesterday, while the items we were able to find in the large
store that-shall-not-be-named were being passed over the scanner (funny how we
are increasingly unable to find items on our list when shopping there), I
overheard another customer and the clerk who was passing her items over the
scanner complaining about the commercialization of Christmas and how Christ was
being taken out of Christmas and being replaced with Santa Claus in our culture,
and how evil was that? And on and on.... It bothers me some too, but I dunno....
My brothers and sister and I were born to parents who were
committed Christians who loved God and who tried to live their lives by
Biblical principles all the time --
even at home when no one else was watching except us. We went to
church, we knew about the Christmas story from the Bible from the beginning; in
fact back then, we even did the Biblical Christmas story at the public school. I got to be one of the Wise Men in the 5th grade Christmas program, one of the most exciting things I remember about the elementary school.
We also did all of the other Christmas things. We got a tree
and decorated it. We were told about Santa Claus when we were little. We went
to the department store downtown and saw Santa. We left cookies and milk out for Santa, and there was
always one unwrapped gift under the tree on Christmas morning that Santa had left
the night before.
Eventually, of course, we realized that there was no actual
Santa. Yep, we were told an elaborate lie, and nope, it didn’t do us any damage
that I can see.
When our boy was little, we taught him the Christmas story
from the Bible. But we also did Santa Claus, and I had the first two verses of the poem “Twas the
Night Before Christmas” memorized from having read it to him so many times.
Eventually, he realized there was no Santa. It was not a big deal.
Some groups get really upset about the celebration of
Christmas, and the traditions associated with it. Some don’t celebrate it all.
I recognize that many things we do in connection with Christmas have their
origins in pagan traditions and the Winter Solstice. But unlike the Church Lady a hilarious character on Saturday Night Live, and others I have come into
contact with, I do not think Santa is really “Satan.”
Because I don’t have a grandchild and I am likely to not
have one, and I do not even have contact with any little kids, I do not have to
make a decision now about whether I am going to “do Santa Claus” with a child and perpetuate the lie. But, I think it is really very cool that my younger brother has bought himself a Santa
Claus suit and has decided to play Santa Claus for their grandson and for other
small children (and adults too!) in his wife’s family.
1 comment:
I so totally agree with you on the whole Santa thing. Our kids have always known the real meaning of Christmas and were always in the church Christmas program (I have a really funny story! about one of the programs but it's too long to tell here). And we believed in Santa with no harmful effects. After a visit to see Santa when our son was 6 or 7, we were walking to the car and he asked me who Santa really was. I asked him his thoughts on the matter and he replied, "Dad." I told him that was true - I didn't want to lie after all. We walked on a bit and he said, "Mom, let's not tell Dad what I know because I have fun dressing up at Halloween. I want my dad to have the same fun dressing up as Santa!" And that was how the matter was settled.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year!
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