Does Santa diminish Christ from Christmas?

[Star_]

..,

[pam]

I think there are ways to keep Santa in the picture as well as focusing on the religious aspect of Christ' birth.

While your co-worker has every right to do what she wants with her kids and I can respect it, it kind of reminds me of the movie Miracle on 34th Street.

I mean, doesn't Santa deliver presents and bring joy to all the children on Christmas Eve? Plus I will never regret the opportunites I had to bake cookies for Santa with my kids at Christmas time. And to make sure we had a carrot set out for the reindeer.

Yet when they were younger, Christmas Eve we focused totally on the Savior and His birth. They knew what Christmas was really about.

While the world seems to focus on the commercial aspect, I think we can still keep a balance on both. I still believe in letting children have their little childhood fantasies.

[NightSG]

Should we slaughter all the rabbits so they don't take away from Easter?

[jerome1232]

Originally Posted by NightSG

Should we slaughter all the rabbits so they don't take away from Easter?

Only if you catch one laying eggs.

[Sister_N]

Santa adds to the spirit of Christmas, the notion giving and sharing and encouraging of 'good' behaviour.

I believe it is up to individual families where they place their Christmas focus, and in our house there has always been room for both Christ and Santa (with a heavier focus on Christ)

I do not believe Santa alone brings about the commercial side of Christmas, that is excess shopping and the need to make every Christmas more material than the last. As children we had very modest Christmases, with a present from our parents and siblings and then a small token from Santa i.e. a book/video for us all to share.

Children should be allowed to believe in Santa, and learn in their own time that he is not 'real' but that the spirit he represents mimics that of Christ.

[lizrenowden]

We were talking about Santa in Primary last week and pointed out to the children that the presents Santa brings helps us to remember the presents that the wisemen gave to Christ.

[Just_A_Guy]

I think Santa tends to be a distraction, and I also think asking kids to accept on faith the existence of something one knows not to be real, sets a bad precedent for when your kids start questioning their religious principles down the road.

That said: Just_A_Girl is very big into Santa. We've reached an understanding where she tells the kids what she wants, and I just refer any questions from the kids back to Mommy.

[anatess]

Santa is only a distraction if you were never taught about who Santa is.

I grew up Catholic. Saint Nikolaus, the Bishop of Myra (the real person behind the Santa tradition) is an important saint in the Catholic faith.

Read up about him and let me know if you still believe Santa is a distraction.

For those who saw Rise of the Guardians - they showed Santa's core as Wonder. There is a reason for that. Saint Nikolaus is also called in Catholic tradition as Nikolaus the Wonderworker.

So yeah - Santa without knowing WHY we do the Santa-thing is a distraction. You need to teach your children the Why of it.

[Just_A_Guy]

Frankly, Anatess, I'm not convinced that Nikolaus of Myra would be terribly pleased with the modern incarnation of "Santa Claus", either. The fact that a modern practice originated as a memorial of something true - and even, noble and holy - does not justify the continuation of the ritual, anymore than (to use extreme examples) a drunken revel on Times Square is justified by the life and ministry of St. Patrick, or a Mardi Gras orgy constitutes a legitimate preparation for Holy Week.

My family has been trying to establish some good traditions on Christmas Eve in remembrance of the Savior, and I hope we're succeeding to some degree. But even so, the Lord was not the addressee of the letter my six-year-old snuck into our mailbox this week asking for munificence while promising to be good. And neither myself nor my wife have any delusions about our kids thinking of Jesus as they tear into their gifts on Christmas morning.

[Bini]

The holidays were always elaborate for me growing up. While Santa bringing gifts was a big part of what made Christmas special as a child, my siblings and I were also immersed in the spiritual aspect of it. In the month of December, we would read one scripture about the birth of Christ, every night after dinner. We'd all take turns, so each night it was a different person reading but we all shared our thoughts on it, too. Christmas has always been a magical time for me, then and now.


As an adult and parent, I wasn't sure if I wanted to incorporate Santa into Christmas. I was really torn over it, actually. I discussed my concerns with my husband and we decided not to overthink it. We will do the magic of Santa, and when that time comes when she asks questions about whether he's real or not, we'll answer her.