It is difficult to avoid Santa Claus at this time of year. Our two small boys are regularly asked by perfect strangers whether or not Santa is going to come to their house. But for those of us who insist that Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ, this cultural emphasis on Santa and presents can be tough to navigate.
This year, for the first time, Flannery and I tried something we’ve heard from other Catholic families: we gave the lads some small gifts for the feast of St. Nicholas. Last night we read the story of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra. We talked about gratitude and generosity and helping those in need. Then we put out our shoes. Lo and behold, in the morning each pair was atop a book and filled with chocolates. We hinted that it wasn’t St. Nick himself who had done the filling, but we didn’t come right out and say that we were responsible. We didn’t have the heart.
Our hope is that, from now until Christmas, when our kids are asked about Santa, they can say that he already came and that they’re waiting for Jesus.
As you may sense, we don’t feel like we’ve got this aced just yet. So, in our uncertainty, we’re wondering: how do other Christian families out there deal with Santa, St. Nicholas, and Jesus’ birthday? Should Christians encourage belief in a jolly old elf? Should they explicitly reject it? Something in between? How can we give our kids the sense of Christmas’ real meaning without crushing their spirits (or their classmates’) regarding Santa? How do we celebrate our holiday (our holy day), when the rest of the world is celebrating the cult of stuff?
Brett Salkeld is a doctoral student in theology at Regis College in Toronto. He is a father of two (so far) and husband of one.
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