In homes across the country every year, around this time of year, the same old debate re-surfaces among parents. Should we or shouldn’t we perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus? Should we tell our kids about the man in the big red suit? Should we remind them that they “better not pout, better not cry, better not shout” or else they’ll get a stocking full of coal? Should we help them send their letters to the North Pole and set out some milk and cookies on Christmas Eve? Should we make up wild stories to explain how reindeers fly? Most parents believe that when it comes to this fictional character’s existence it’s a matter of lying to our children versus telling them the truth.
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| Pudge's First Visit with Santa |
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| Josie's First Visit with Santa |
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| Jamie's First Visit with Santa |
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| Johnny's First Visit with Santa |
Santa Claus brings joy to children of all ages. Happy children personify pure, unadulterated bliss. You need only see the glow in my Josie’s eyes as she explains the mechanics of the elves’ workshop or hear the enthusiasm with which Jamie shouts, “Ho ho ho!” (something he does often since it’s the only word he can pronounce to describe any and all things Christmas related) to find proof. For children to believe in Santa is fun for kids and parents alike. Boys and girls get to experience the fleeting exhilaration of being a part of something magical, and moms and dads get to marvel at the beauty of joyful innocence. They’ll only be young once. I, for one, intend not to waste this rare opportunity and will be hoisting my kids up into Santa’s lap for as long as I possibly can.
but that’s not what I was getting at. Believing in Santa Claus is a perfectly harmless privilege of childhood. I’ve never met a full-grown adult who was carrying around years worth of emotional anguish over the fact that his parents heartlessly lied to him about the existence of Santa Claus. To the contrary, I’ve heard mature individuals express their sadness over not having had the opportunity to believe in Santa longer. My own brother wishes his four older sisters hadn’t ruined the magic for him by letting the secret slip when he was still very young. Yes, I believed in Santa. And when I found out that he wasn’t real I never laid awake at night questioning, “Oh why, oh why did my parents deceive me? How could they?” Ridiculous. Many of us believed in Santa when we were children and we grew up to be thriving contributors to society. I see no harm in bringing him back to life for my own kids’ enjoyment.
Santa Claus is a well-intentioned lie. Sure, telling our kids that Santa is real may technically be a lie. But it’s a lie that is told with the purest intentions- we mean to make our children’s lives richer. And for that matter, don’t we ‘technically’ lie to our children every day? I’m pretty sure that it’s in the parenthood job description to withhold information from our sons and daughters if doing so will protect them from unnecessary pain. I don’t sit my 5-year-old down and discuss with her every time we are facing a financial hardship. I don’t know any loving parent who would describe in detail to their preschooler every time there was marital strife in the home. We tuck them in tightly at night, kiss their sweet smelling foreheads, and tell them “everything is okay.” Parents aren’t supposed to burden their children with the ugly truth.
Santa Claus and Jesus can be friends. Many people base their anti-Santa feelings on their Christian beliefs. I get that. This blog should stand as testament that I am a devoted believer in the active role Jesus plays in our lives and the living nature of His word. I want nothing more for my children than for them to know the Lord as their personal savior and for their lives to be filled with His undying love. But I fail to see why it must be one or the other- Santa or Jesus. There’s enough love to go around! Anyone who thinks that a belief in Santa will deteriorate one’s ability to have faith in Jesus isn’t giving the human mind enough credit. Children are capable of an infinite amount of trust. With the right explanations, Santa and Jesus can walk hand-in-hand. For those who need a more educated explanation of this, I’m going to defer to my friend and former pastor, Rev. Alan Rudnick. He says it better than me.
Considering all this, I have come to the conclusion that Santa Claus is a cause worth fighting for. After I put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve I will be stuffing their stockings full of candies and toys, placing a gift under the tree for each of them with a big red velvet bow and a tag that says “From Santa,” and eating the cookies they left out on a plate but leaving a few crumbs behind as evidence. Because Santa stops here.
Gueney says that Santa loved Jesus too! Kinda argue with that logic! Santa in our home is a representation of the giving that we should all be doing. Not receiving but the act of blessing others and showing your love thru that one gift Christmas day. Knowing all that Santa does, it has given Guenevere the extra enthusiastic to make her gift for EVERYONE and bless them. We are a family that loves the guy in the big red suit :O)
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