Friday, December 24, 2010

Santa Claus: a bold face lie?

Santa isn't real??? When did this happen??? Then who gave me the microscope kit when I was 10? My parent's said they'd never get me one so it had to be Santa. Then there was the year when I was a teenager and I hear the hooves on our roof top. And NORAD always tracks his progress!

There has been talk lately on the web and on my local talk radio station about "lying to children about Santa Claus".  I've never thought of the Santa Claus coming down the chimney as a lie but as something fun to do. That is how I approached it with my children as did my friends. I wonder how serious parents make it, like it is the gospel truth or something. I believed until I was 5-6 yrs. It just seemed a natural thing not to, and it was so much fun being Santa for my younger sister! (replicating what St. Nicholas did, giving to others).

Gosh, I see it as something fun to do and didn't go overboard on the Santa thing with my kids. Before we open our gifts DH reads from Luke and we have always had Nativity sets within the kid's reach. I just got to watch my grandson put out milk & cookies for Santa and be a Santa's helper filling the stockings with his mom. He was so thrilled/excited to be doing this. Tomorrow morning he'll be using the Little People's nativity scene while his Grampa does the reading.

Santa was a real person, St. Nicholas who gave gifts to the poor. So when my kids asked I told them about St. Nicholas and something about the three wise men and gifts to our Saviour.

Is it deception or is it about imagination, giving to others, doing the lord's work through the people around us and/or just plain fun?

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