Little boys preferring the color pink. A child playing with water guns. A little girl believing in Santa Claus.
These are all topics that 20 years ago didn’t even get a response from a parent.
All topics that today have the potential to stress a parent out.
Because of the current culture, we jump into panic wondering if we need to immediately pounce on an activity, comment, or thought because it could lead to….
Don’t Throw Out the Baby
Our family doesn’t celebrate the “magic” of Santa, but I don’t panic if one of our kiddos asks a question or picks up a thought from church, school, or Walmart concerning the Jolly Ole Fellow. Typically I reply to their curiosity with “What do you think?”.
But in conversations and recent Facebook posts, I sense a large amount of anxiety over the topic of “Do We or Don’t We Include Santa in the Christmas Traditions.” Almost like the level of spirituality depends on the answer.
Sometimes I wonder if in fear we throw the Baby out with the bathwater.
There isn’t a reason to turn Santa into a “us-big-Christians and them-little-sinners” issue. There will be plenty of time later in parenting for drawing the line in the sand.
What’s the Truth about Santa?
The truth is that the character of Santa originated from a real person. A person who loved Jesus.
Saint Nicholas was a leader in a church a long, long time ago. He loved Jesus very much and wanted to show Jesus’ love to others by helping them. His parents had left him a lot of money. So, if Nicholas heard that someone needed food or clothes, he would sneak up to their window at night and toss in a bag of coins. — Why Do We Call it Christmas?
Santa is not the enemy. Fear is.
Explaining the true St. Nick to your kids can be a wonderful way to help them understand generosity, love, and care for others. It’s an opportunity to explaining the true meaning of Christmas.
Drop the fear. Drop the condemnation toward those who look forward to the visits with Santa.
Enjoy the season. Enjoy focusing on the truth.
If you don’t know the stories behind our Christmas traditions (including trees, Santa, and stockings), I encourage you to watch or read Why Do We Call it Christmas?” by Phil Vischer.
