In Defense of Santa Claus

NOTE TO READERS:  This post addresses the Christmas Tradition of Santa Claus…caution to “innocent” readers! 

 I have heard more talk than usual this season about what is "right" to teach our children about Santa Claus.  So here’s the good news…as Catholic parents, we don’t have to tiptoe around Santa Claus by de-emphasizing him or getting rid of him altogether.  Instead, we can embrace Santa Claus as a long-standing part of Christmas tradition, using him to remind us of the spirit of giving and the magic of the season.  The real Saint Nicholas no doubt cheers us on as we recreate his acts of generosity and kindness in honor of our Savior’s birth.

 That said, there seem to be three reasons behind the desire to de-Santa our holiday:  1) to avoid "lying" to children, 2) to wipe out the face of commercial Christmas and 3) to avoid stealing Jesus' thunder.  Believe it or not, these objections are not new.  They were voiced as early as the 16th century primarily by Protestant fundamentalists.  And who can forget the troubled question raised by eight-year-old Virginia that led to the most famous defense of Santa ever?  (Take time to read the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language.  I think it makes the best case for Santa I've ever read.)

 So, here's my take on the issue:

#1  Are we lying to our children?  Perhaps people who make this argument are taking the whole thing a little too seriously.  Santa is a game.  He's not a lie.  When we talk about Santa and the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny with our children, we are playing pretend.  Normal, healthy kids pretend all the time.  Girls pretend with dolls and dishes, boys pretend with guns (or so I've heard).  I don't know of any parents who sit with their children while watching Sesame Street and say, "don't worry honey, you won't find a green monster living in our garbage can and, that's not a real bird you know."  Kids know.  They get it.  

In some ways, I think adults need Santa Claus more than children do.  He gives us an excuse to enter into the magic of Christmas and see it through a child's eyes.  Growing up, I remember hearing bells jingle and deep belly laughs that I just knew were Santa.  Now, I imagine my dad doing that and the joy it must have brought him.  Why would we want to deny ourselves that?

#2  Isn't Santa the embodiment of our commercialized society?  Actually, Santa belongs to Catholic Christians because, as most people know, he is based on 4th century St. Nicholas.  Which means he may be the only part of commercialized Christmas that has real meaning.  Santa’s connection to Christmas is a kind of divine Trojan horse, a door through which we can pull unbelievers to Jesus if we so choose.  And of course that was what the real St. Nick was about. 

Also, for those of you familiar with the work of C.S. Lewis--you may remember that it was not Aslan who banished Father Christmas (England's version of Santa) from Narnia.  Quite the contrary!  Father Christmas was a kind of herald announcing Aslan's return and the ultimate powerlessness of the White Witch.

Someone who I consider very wise once commented that the devil is probably completely lacking in humor.  I agree.  I think he probably rejoices when we wipe out fancy and whimsy and anything fun about the way we celebrate our faith.  Why?  Because if we are serious and gloomy Christians, we will not add to our numbers.  We must remember to be an Easter people.  The purpose of the Savoir was to defeat death and redeem a fallen people, and that is worth celebrating.

#3  It's Jesus' birthday--doesn't Santa steal His thunder?  To answer this one, I'll point to Sunday's gospel about John the Baptist (Luke 3:10-18) .  John's job was to prepare the way for the savior.  Everything he said and did was to bring people to his cousin, Jesus.  When it was time to step aside, he did.  It is the same way with Santa in his purest form.  

My favorite Christmas decoration when I was little was a statue of Santa, hat in hand, kneeling in front of baby Jesus.  I remember spending a lot of time quietly studying it.  What an awesome depiction of what we should all be about!  Santa is our humble servant, but he is God's first.  His whole job is to help us celebrate Jesus and the gift of our salvation. 

 

So, I encourage all Christians and especially Catholics to continue to remind people that Santa Claus belongs to us, not Macy's.  And personally, I think the baby Jesus would have been delighted by a visit from Father Christmas, hat in hand, before he set off on his magical journey to bring gifts and spread the Good News to all.