What’s a Christian to do with Santa Claus? While everyone has an opinion about the subject, the real question is, what are we focusing on at Christmas time? There is no definitive answer to the Santa Claus question because it comes down to a personal choice. However, Santa Claus was a man who became myth because of a work of fiction, a poem. If we treat him like we do any other fictional character, then maybe that can help us decide how to deal with Santa Claus.
Who Is Santa Claus, and Where Did the Tradition Come From?
According to Britannica, Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, in the 4th century. St. Nicholas had a reputation for generosity and kindness, giving gifts to poor children. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th in honor of his life. After the Reformation, the legend of St. Nicholas continued in Holland under the name Sinterklass.
When the Dutch settlers brought his legend to the American colonies, he became known as Santa Claus, a kindly old man who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents.
The modern version of Santa Claus comes from the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” an anonymous poem about Santa Claus visiting the narrator one Christmas Eve. When added to Thomas Nast’s cartoon of Merry Old Santa Claus, it gives us a jolly bearded man wearing a red suit and delivering toys.
Through the poem and movies, the legend expanded to explain how Santa Claus lived at the North Pole, where elves built the toys and helped him to deliver gifts to good boys and girls around the earth in one night.
Should Christian Families Include Santa in Christmas Celebrations?
The legend has taken on a life of its own to the point where Santa Claus becomes the central figure of Christmas instead of Christ. Parents want to keep the magic of childhood, but where do Christians draw the line? Santa Claus is everywhere this time of year, so ignoring him altogether is probably not an option. Therefore, you must decide how you approach the subject with your children.
In her article What to do about Santa Sarah Wallace gives four reasons why she tells her kids Santa isn’t real:
- Santa promotes works (good behavior = gifts).
- Santa blurs the lines between fact and fantasy.
- Santa is a type of god (all-knowing).
- It’s hard to compete with Santa.
If we want children to know that the Bible is truth, then we should be careful not to confuse them by insisting that myths are true. Instead, we can read the poem and even watch movies while making sure our children know the truth that Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth.
How Can Parents Explain Santa to Their Kids?
Sara Wallace says she explains to her children who the character of Santa Claus is while approaching him as a kind of game. Rhonda Stoppe approaches the subject in a similar way by making sure her children know the truth but play pretend like they do with the tooth fairy. Brent Rhinehart explained to his children the history of Saint Nicholas and how they can be Santa for others. Jesus used parables to teach, so he uses Santa as a means of starting a discussion on giving.
All these authors make the point that Santa is not the center of Christmas. They focus on the birth of Jesus as the reason for celebration, and Santa is only addressed because it is a part of the culture. Also, they teach their children not to “ruin it” for other children, especially those too young to understand. They handle it the same way they do any other fictional characters. It’s fun to play make believe as long as they know the difference between fact and fiction.
What Are Some Christ-Centered Alternatives to the Santa Tradition?
While it is fun to play pretend with the Santa Tradition, we need to make sure our children know the true reason for Christmas. There are a lot of fun ways to celebrate the season that center around Christ.
Growing up, our church always put on a Christmas play that depicted the birth of Christ and what that means to us as Christians. If your church isn’t putting on a pageant or play, consider going to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or reading the book. It tells the story from the perspective of children who have never heard the story of Jesus that makes it refreshing and new.
Something new to me is following the Advent calendar, something my family never did when I was growing up, but I recently started trying to incorporate the candles and nativity scene into my own traditions. You can also use decorating as a way to focus on Christ using devotionals like 25 Symbols of Christmas: Finding Jesus- A Devotional by Annie Yorty. This keeps the focus on why we do what we do.
Another activity is inspiring generosity and kindness by being Santa to others. When my nieces and nephews were teenagers, they received a lot of gifts. One of my sisters suggested taking the kids to choose a child or family to help at Christmas. We shopped together with the kids to pick out the gifts, and then we would eat lunch before dropping off the gifts. It taught them that it was even more fun to give than it was to receive.
You can also read the Christmas story from Luke as you set up a nativity. You could do it in one night or over the course of the Advent season. Having a visual, like the nativity set, makes the story more vivid for children.
How Can Christians Approach Santa in a Way That Honors Christ?
My father once commented on all the debates regarding Santa Claus. He said Santa Claus was really a metaphor for God, the Father:
- He is omniscient, knowing who is good and who is bad. “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:20).
- He is omnipresent, knowing when you are asleep or awake and able to be all over the world in one night. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence” (Psalm 139:7).
- He is a giver of good gifts. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
The important thing is to make sure that our children know the truth of the Bible. Even Santa Claus can be used as a way to help them understand the character of God, as long as we make it clear what is truth and what is fiction.
There is no getting around Santa Claus at Christmas time because it is a part of our culture. We can’t control the world, but we can control how we approach the subject in our families and our own hearts. The real question isn’t what are you to do with Santa Claus; the real question is what are you doing with Christ? Is Christ at the center of Christmas, or is it traditions?
When we center our minds and hearts on Christ, our traditions can adapt so that our children can see the true meaning of Christmas. The first gift of Christmas wasn’t given by the three wise men; it was given by God. It was the birth of Jesus Christ, God coming down in human form to save the world. The first gift of Christmas was love.
Maybe this Christmas we can take a closer look at our traditions and our focus. Christ came at a dark time on earth, on one of the longest nights of the year, to bring the Light of hope to a weary world. Let’s ask ourselves how we can share the gift of love that we have been given with our families and with a world living in darkness. Let’s use every opportunity, even Santa Claus, to share the real reason for the season.
What do you think? How should the topic of Santa be approached at Christmas? What do you do in your family? Join the conversation on Crosswalk Forums!
Further Reading:
What to Do about Santa?
Should Parents Encourage Santa?
Why I Told My Daughter the Truth about Santa Claus
Photo credit: ©iStock /Getty Images Plus/SeventyFour
Linda Lyle is a writer, teacher, knitter, and unintentional collector of cats. She has written articles for the Alabama Baptist, Open Windows, Refresh, as well as multiple novels and novellas. Her newest book, 5-Minute Prayer Plan for When Life Is Overwhelming, is set to release in October. She spins yarns on her blog The End of My Yarn at lindalyle.com.
