IS THERE REALLY A SANTA CLAUS?
In 1897, a little girl wrote to the New York Sun and asked, “Is there really a Santa Claus?” The newspaper editor, in his now famous editorial, replied: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!” And since that seemingly insignificant editorial, this fat man with a white beard and red suit has become THE master symbol of Christmas for many in our culture.
The Santa Claus legend began with a Turkish bishop named Saint Nicholas who lived in the fourth century. Bishop Nicholas became famous for his generosity and kindness, especially to children. During the Middle Ages, the people of the Netherlands chose Saint Nicholas as the patron saint of Christmas. During the night of his birthday, Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, as the Dutch children called him, was supposed to visit the homes of the children to leave presents, and pick up carrots and hay which had been left for Sinterklaas’ white horse.
When the Dutch settlers came to America in the 1600’s, they brought the Sinterklaas legend with them, and the British settlers quickly adopted the same legends and festivities. As the English speaking children Anglicized “Sinterklaas” into “Santa Claus,” his imagined appearance began to change from a tall, slender man into a plump, jolly fellow with a floppy hat and knee breeches.
In 1822, when Clement Moore wrote his famous poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” Santa was portrayed as the familiar, jolly, old man with a round figure, twinkling eyes, white beard, a nose like cherry, and a bag full of toys slung over his back. Moore replaced the white horse with eight, tiny reindeer who were later joined by a ninth reindeer with a bulbous nose, Rudolf, created in the 1950 Christmas Catalog of Montgomery Ward, and made popular by Gene Autry’s recording, “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
Unfortunately, all of the fictional history and gradually changing caricatures of Santa have transformed him into THE symbol of Christmas in the English speaking world. In fact, he has been given precedence by many over the Babe of Bethlehem! In reaction and concern, some parents, therefore, deny their children the fun of seeing Santa as a happy symbol of Christmas. But, in my estimation, Santa Claus does not need to be eliminated in our homes. Rather, he needs to be kept in his proper place—a happy symbol of the season, not THE master of Christmas. You see, fantasy and imagination are healthy for little children, but replacing Christ, The True Master of Christmas, with Santa goes dangerously beyond fantasy.
So, as Christian parents, how are we to handle the Santa Claus Syndrome? Here is the cardinal rule: ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. There is no need to kick the idea of Santa out of Christmas, but he does need to be dethroned from his lofty position. As long as your child knows that Santa comes from the same sort of world of imagination as Cinderella, then no harm is done, but the truth of the matter is that the toys that appear Christmas morning are really put there my Mommy and Daddy because they love to give their children gifts just as God loves us and gave us THE gift of His Son.
So parents: Go overboard with the fact that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birthday. Santa Claus is a delightful myth, but he’s a pretend person, unlike Jesus Christ, THE REAL MASTER of Christmas!
Devotedly your pastor,
Bill Blanchard