Santa vs. Jesus

As a Christian, Christmas holds a special meaning for me.  It is the birth of my Savior.  It is the moment that prophecy began to be fulfilled.  No Christian would say that Christmas has no meaning to them.  It is one of the most important church holidays, along with Easter.  I could even argue that it is the most important.  without the humble, human birth of Christ, his work on the cross would have been meaningless.

But in our secular world, Christmas has been commercialized.  Christ is no longer there and instead we have a “beast man giving toys for good behavior.”  The media is saturated with sappy Christmas specials and every store has some sort of “holiday special” going on.”  We no longer have the wonderful holiday that it should be, but a sold out shell.

Thus, churches all over have started to “protest” Santa and Xmas (the secular Christmas).  The claim that Santa is simply Satan with another spelling.  Santa’s, errr Satan’s mission is to take “Christ’ out of “Christmas” for good.  Therefore we need to rid the world of Santa for good…. Right?

Well, while I am a Christian, I also love the Christmas that we have.  I love Santa.  While, yes, he may be a figure that has been transformed into an image of comercialism, but he holds another, deeper meaning.  Sant Claus is based off of the Dutch Bishop, Sinterklass, or Sint (Saint) Nikolaas.  Saint Nikolaas is said to have given gift to children on Christmas Eve.  Of course, you have heard this already.  But there are other roots, and berhaps my favorite is that of Saint Nicolas of Bari.  Saint Nicolas was a Saint in who lived around 350 AD.  Stories about of him helping the poor and, more famously, helping children.  He did many wonderous acts and expected nothing in return, just how our modern Santa gives gifts to everyone and doesn’t expect anything in return.  If you want to read more on the real, or at least hagiographal, Saint Nicolas, here is a site that might help: http://www.stnicholascenter.org.

Christmas is a time of giving without expecting to get.  It is a time to offer help to those who need it, to protect their health and safety.  Now these acts are not restricted to Christmas, but they are definitely a time when every feels the Spirit moving through them.

You may call me a sentimental, but Christmas is magical.  Everything from candy canes to nativity, from eggnog to the Christmas Eve service.  It is amazing.  I look foward to Christmas with a child’s eyes, seeing the magic and joy that fills the as you walk down the streets and see the bell ringers and lights.  I mean, there are much worse things to believe in.

Feel the joy.  Don’t cringe at every Santa, just think of Saint Nick and why we like Santa so much.  If someone asks you about how you can be a Christian and love Santa, you can tell them the stories.  Go and do good and spread Christmas Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost.  Do not sit and your house all season and be a Scrooge.

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