Is Santa Coming To Town?
Every December I get questions from parents asking for my opinion on Santa: “Did you tell your kids about Santa?” Some Christians are very adamant: “Santa Claus is a replacement of Jesus in this secularized society and just another way of spreading materialism.” Others see the fable as a harmless, delightful fantasy: “I believed in Santa when I was a kid and it didn’t hurt me! It’s just a fun way to give the kids a little magical spark.”
Have you ever thought that Santa can provide a springboard for reinforcing young minds with the true meaning of Christmas?
A boy named Nicolas was born in 280 AD. His parents died when he was young, leaving him a large inheritance. Early in life, he devoted himself to God and he grew up to become a pastor in modern Turkey. He gave almost all of his money to help the poor - especially children. When he was persecuted and imprisoned for his faith, he shared his meager provisions with other inmates. He gained a reputation for giving both in times of abundance and poverty. He believed that giving to the needy was the same as giving to Jesus. He was right. Jesus taught that in Matthew 25:40. St. Nick’s example sparked a tradition of giving to commemorate Jesus’ birth.
St. Nick was a real person who left a wonderful example for us. But I think he would be horrified to know how he has become the exaggerated focus on materialism for children this time of year.
Linda and I taught our kids about the real Santa Claus. We also taught them that lying is wrong. To us, integrity was one of the most important gifts we could give our children. We would say, “We will never lie to you; you are never to lie to us.” That would have been hard had we maintained a story to be true for years while knowing that it wasn’t. As a child, when I learned that the Santa story was only a fable, I began to wonder if the stories about Jesus were fables as well.
I think our kids enjoyed hearing the legend more by knowing its roots. I certainly did not enjoy Christmas more than them, even though I believed Santa was real. With our kids, we tried to emphasize giving to others instead of getting from Santa. And I think they enjoyed it more because they got excited about the “giving projects” we took on as a family. We really tried to make Christ the centerpiece of His birthday celebration, and in this way pass on a heritage more valuable than any fun that make-believe could provide.
Establish Christmas traditions in your family that will focus on Jesus and how His birth led to our salvation. Use the season to lead your kids to make Christ our top priority.