T’was the night before Christmas, the children are nestled all snug in their beds when all of a sudden one of them asks the question, “Mom…is Santa real?” Do we tell them there isn’t a Santa and feel as though we have ruined the spirit of Christmas, or tell them there is a Santa and then try to explain why we have not been honest with them for all those years. And, how can we make sure our kids know the true meaning of Christmas? These are the tough questions many Christian parents ask.
My wife and I were raised with two different viewpoints on this subject. My parents loved the spirit of Christmas and played it up big. Complete with milk and cookies, jingle bell ringing to warn us that Santa was near, the whole ‘better be good or you get a lump of coal’ thing, and a round of “Happy Birthday to Jesus” before opening presents. My wife grew up with a different view. Santa was not a part of their family’s Christmas tradition. Now we have our own children and the question is: What are we going to do for our family? I remember Jody and I having conversations as our daughter was approaching the age of truly understanding Christmas and not just playing with the empty box. Would we tell her Santa is real or not? Allow her to believe or not believe in Santa. Above all else our children were going to know the true meaning of Christmas.
At the age of four it happened, “the question.” I remember explaining to her that Santa was not real, and how there was a real historic figure that brought gifts to kids a long time ago. We still celebrate this today by giving gifts to one another. Christmas is not all about checking off a wish list of presents, but the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the best gift ever given—Jesus. And what a gift that was! Jesus leaving His heavenly home and coming to earth—from streets of gold to a food trough.
Jesus sacrificed so much for us. And it all comes down to love. Even adults need to be reminded what Christmas is all about. It is so much more than our shopping list or Santa. Our challenge is to find the best way to communicate Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas, to our children and the world around us.
Just recently I came across this article from the Washington Post, written by Mark Driscoll, Preaching & Theology Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle concerning how Christian parents should address the issue of Santa. Click the link below:
“What We Tell Our Kids About Santa” by Mark Driscoll
