As parents of a toddler we’re not sure what to do with Santa. One opinionated family member says we shouldn’t include Santa if we want our son to get the true meaning of Christmas. We’re trying to figure out how Santa fits into our family’s Christmas.

In the 12 years we’ve been writing this column, some questions continue to pop up. This is one of those questions. We know Christian parents who answer this question quite differently. One dad we know, who is also a much-loved minister, says, “Santa is simply Satan with the letters rearranged.” No doubt you can guess how he would answer the Santa question. We also know conscientious Christian parents who include Santa as part of their Christmas. When our children were young we decided to include Santa as a fun part of our Christmas. However, we made sure our children understood that Jesus was the reason for this season of celebration. Now, some 20 years later, it doesn’t appear either of our children has been scarred by that decision.

The actual story of Santa Claus can be traced through traditions to a 4^th century bishop in Asia Minor named Saint Nicholas who brought gifts to needy children. Saint Nicholas was a real person who possessed a true spirit of giving. Adopted from the Dutch, Americans began calling him “Santa Claus.” As stories were passed from generation to generation, Saint Nicholas became larger-than-life.

Yes, at Christmas time our young children stood in line to sit on Santa’s lap and “believed” that he brought presents. Santa brought items that couldn’t be wrapped (for example, bikes). All wrapped presents, however, were from us or other family members and friends. But once Brian and Amanda were old enough to comprehend, we taught them about the original story of “jolly old Saint Nick.”

In addition to Saint Nicholas, we used other traditions to our benefit as we celebrated the birth of Jesus. During the preschool and elementary years we ordered a birthday cake that said, “Happy Birthday Jesus.” We each selected a family and then secretly played “Santa” ourselves as we put a gift on their doorstep at night, rang the doorbell, and ran like crazy back to our car! We still laugh about Brian diving into the back seat of our van trying not to be seen. An advent wreath still sits on our dining room table. Our adapted version began five nights before Christmas as one of the kids would light the appropriate candle on the wreath, read a scene from the story of Jesus’ birth, hold hands around the table, and pray in candlelight. Our family enjoyed taking advantage of the activities around us to capture the excitement and spirit of Christmas.

The time will come when your children begin to learn to distinguish between factual events and fantasy. Young children believe in fantasy as part of their real world, but they soon learn that Barney, Blues Clues, SpongeBob, or any other such character is “make believe.” Be intentional about communicating to your children that Jesus is real and point out that there is nothing “made-up” about him. Our children grew up enjoying the fun surrounding Santa, but they never confused him with Jesus who is a very real part of our everyday homelife.

Once your children begin asking questions about the reality of Santa, you need to be honest with them. It’s fun to pretend, but when a child is sincerely seeking to understand and separate fact from fantasy, it is important that you tell the truth. I (Bev) remember as a young child asking my parents about Santa. When they hedged on their answer, I went to our family dictionary and looked up “Santa.” I returned to inform my parents that Santa was a fictional character and I knew that “fictional” meant “not true.” (I guess that foreshadowed my career as a teacher!)

The Bible deals with factual not fictional characters. However, writing to the Colossian Christians the apostle Paul told them, “do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16, 17). Paul advised his readers not to let others criticize their celebrations. It is our belief that we have the freedom to use our culture’s celebration of Christmas to help our family have fun while focusing on Jesus and his love for us. Decide what works best for your family regarding Santa and don’t take to heart the disapproval of fellow Christians whose celebrations differ from yours. Enjoy your freedom in Jesus and the fun that surrounds the Christmas season! |L

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October 25, 2009 - Laying the right foundation
October 11, 2009 - Parenting without fear
September 27, 2009 - Mentoring the motherless
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