Parchment and Pen » Should Christians Play Santa?

Should Christians Play Santa?

My annual and updated Christmas post! This is actually from my very first blog I did two years ago.

Tonight we went to see my mother with my children and the subject of Christmas was naturally brought up being so close. We sang some Christmas carols to prepare for the season. While others were singing Santa and North Pole songs, I took it upon myself (playing the role of the faithful pastor) to balance our excitement with the good Christian Christmas songs. (Waiting for applause to slow down). My daughters were just wanting to sing the Santa songs. My wife asked my oldest daughter Katelynn (9yrs old now) before I started the balancing act, “What is Christmas all about”? To which she responded “Presents, candy, Christmas tree, presents [again], and Santa.” My wife looked at me with the I-am-about-to-laugh-because-I-know-how-much-trouble-she-is-going-to-be-in-from-daddy look. Then she said, “Katelynn, Christmas is about Jesus, not Santa.”

I know you THINK you know where this is going, but you don’t. At first, my reaction was the typical OK, this confirms it. We are not watching anymore Santa movies, cutting way back on the Santa fun, and not going to talk about getting presents anymore. But that never feels right. I quickly turned away from that and started singing the Santa songs with them. Why?

Well, everyone is going to hate me, but why not? I will just dive right in. I don’t have that much trouble with Santa, sleigh bells, Frosty, and presents being emphasized at Christmas. I won’t even get too uptight with situations where Santa becomes the priority. (Waiting now for boos and hissing to cease). Santa is fun. Frosty is silly. And presents give us a chance to teach to give and exercise the gift of giving (since it is more blessed to give than receive). My daughter did forget the true meaning of the Christmas and I could have gotten very angry. But here is the thing: generally speaking, she hardly ever forgets about Christ. Christ is part of her life everyday. She talks to her friends about Him, she reads her Bible, she asks great questions, prays with me, she often voluntarily gives her allowance for others, and she honors her mother and I. Heck, she is even having me teach her Greek (no, I did not force this!). Who am I to step in when she is singing Christmas carols that don’t mention Christ and say in a rather legalistic fashion that she can’t sing those because it dishonors Christ? I have looked through my Bible and I cannot find where Christ gave a command to celebrate His birth on a particular day of the year. Yet He did say to celebrate the meaning of his birth everyday of the year. Isn’t it the incarnational life that matters?

This Katelynn is doing. What message am I sending by mandatorily sanctifying a particular day or season when every day is sanctified? I know that there are some days that we set aside in special way, and I have no problem with that. Neither do I have a problem when we set aside particular times of the year to focus on God and what He has done. But if Katelynn is doing everything else right and not forgetting about God throughout the year, I should not get upset if she forgets about what the meaning of Christmas is. I should not demonize Santa and other “secular” Christmas cheer when it is the life throughout the year that is important. I would rather my daughter tell one of her friends about what Christ means to her in July than to have her focus on the manger in December. Telling others about Christ all year round is commanded in Scripture and is the true meaning of Christmas.

As well, [stepping higher on my box] it would seem that there are so many people who choose to set aside all their secularism in December and require that there be a moratorium called on all things not pertaining to Christ, but forget the rest of the year. This seems to evidence a loss of priorities. I have often heard it said by Christians that Santa has taken over Christ in December, but I would argue that December has taken over Christ for Christians.

Should Christians play Santa? I have no problem with it. Personally, I can’t bring myself to tell my children that he actually exists, but I have no problem with others who do and I have no problem singing Christmas carols that don’t involve Christ so long as Christ is the focus of our lives, not just our Decembers. If Christ is not the focus of our lives January-November, December is not going to make any difference anyway because, contrary to popular belief, December does not sanctify the rest of the year.

Moral of the story: To truly celebrate Christmas presupposes that we are living an incarnational life 365 days a year. Don’t be so hard on poor Santa.

Merry Christmas.

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26 Responses to “Should Christians Play Santa?”

Kyle on 04 Dec 2008 at 1:28 pm #

Thanks, Michael! I think that you did a great job on this post. My wife and I had the discussion of what Christmas would look like even before we got married and, now, with a seven month old, the topic of Santa would have been big (and even bigger in coming years!). I feel that far too many “hyper”s of all sorts take much joy from this season. Christ most certainly IS the “reason for the season,” but in Christ we have true love, family, fellowship, and joy. These are all things that should be celebrated year round, and especially during this season. Christ is our joy every single day we draw breath, period.

So, I just wanted to say thank you for the great post. Please keep them up!
Daniel on 04 Dec 2008 at 1:33 pm #

And as you have mentioned in the past – it’s a good thing to remember from whence we came and those who came before us.

The fact is, St. Nicklaus (sp?) was real, as were his acts of charitable gift-giving.

Nope, he’s not alive today, and he certainly wouldn’t live at the North Pole if he were. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the season in a similar fashion.
kangaroodort on 04 Dec 2008 at 2:18 pm #

Good post. Important reminder for all of us.

Thanks,
Ben
Steve in Toronto on 04 Dec 2008 at 2:49 pm #

Personally I am very keen on Saint. Nicklaus. In our Church he makes an apperance on or around Dec 6th wearing his bishop’s miter and caring his crook he distributes gold chocolate coins and filling the children’s boots (left in the lobby for just this purpose with candy and oranges. Here ate two great links about him.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=102
http://www.utsnyc.edu/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=835&srcid=696

The first is link is a fairly straight forward introduction to the great man and the traditions surrounding his fest day the second is to a brilliant lecture by John McGuckin a professor of Church history at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and the Orthodox Chaplin at Columbia. you must hear it his is fabulous.

God Bless

Steve in Toronto
Glenn E. Chatfield on 04 Dec 2008 at 5:35 pm #

Excellent post. We always taught our children from the very begining that Santa was just a story, even though based on a real person, and that he really wasn’t any different from other fairy tails. We kept the focus of Christmas on Christ, HOWEVER, we also played the Santa game. We even had gifts marked “from Santa.” So there is nothing wrong with a Christian playing Santa, as long as we don’t forget the true reason for the holiday.

And I especially appreciate your pointing out that EVERY day should be living as if there are 365 holy days.
Arukiyomi on 04 Dec 2008 at 5:48 pm #

Amen and amen… thought I would gladly place Frosty the snowman in the microwave for 2 minutes…

having said this, I got my first CHristmas card today and was relieved to find it was a bethlehem scene. I don’t mind someone sending me a winter card to celebrate robins or snow or ice skating or something, but seding me a picture of a winter scene (and it’s always winter in New England, not Nairobi) and saying merry CHRISTmas doesn’t cut it for me.

If it’s Christ inside, let it be Christ on the front – now there’s a sermon there I’m sure!
Friday’s Five - Great blog posts | Preacher's Pen on 04 Dec 2008 at 9:39 pm #

[...] – C. Michael Patton wrote “Should Christians play Santa?” (Thanks Brian for [...]
clearblue on 05 Dec 2008 at 6:46 am #

Brilliant post. I had the same sort of issue recently regarding Christmas Day. Basically, December is full of so many Christmas events at our church that by the time Christmas Day comes, I just want to relive my childhood. But my wife really likes the ritual of a Christmas Day service (whereas I prefer to play with my presents, if I get anything decent, or failing that, play with my boys). Added to the equation is the fact that no one really wants to take the Christmas Day service, so I am left with doing it.

Anyway, we had the extended family debate over the subject and it was me against the world. Everyone else likes Christmas Day rituals, especially making it a very Christian day by going to a church service, where I just like to relax and enjoy the day. All the family were horrified at my latitudinarian ways, and I had to resort to the old arguments that there is nothing biblical about Christmas day, candles, trees, etc. We already do a great job using Christmas as an opportunity to witness to non-Christian folks from the neighbourhood in our church all the way through December – so why can’t we enjoy Christmas too?

I will try to get the whole family to read this one.
Jason C on 05 Dec 2008 at 3:36 pm #

I concur. I too try to express the importance not only of St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, but also the one whom he served and emulated in his love of children.
Best of the web for the week of December 1 2008 « Phil’s Mind Map on 05 Dec 2008 at 4:12 pm #

[...] Should Christians Play Santa? [...]
Danielle on 05 Dec 2008 at 6:46 pm #

While I do agree with some of what have stated here, I wonder where the “being set apart” would fall into this equation. At some point, do not we have to remove ourselves from the secularism and hullabaloo and be salt and light. We do not have to be extreme legalists but there is also value in being not of the world and I mean not only in December but 365 days a year.
Susan on 05 Dec 2008 at 8:30 pm #

Michael,

Santa rechecked your records for the year, read this blog, and decided that you WILL be permitted to submit your request for Batman cars after all. Just keep your nose clean from now until then.

signed,

Kringle
head elf
Lisa Robinson on 05 Dec 2008 at 11:49 pm #

Clearblue, your comment makes me realize that we can undermine the meaning of Christmas by idolizing our rituals. I appreciate those churches that put much emphasis on family time during this season.

Susan, do you think that’s possible?
How to teach about Christmas « Perennial Student on 06 Dec 2008 at 12:42 am #

[...] stuff without losing sight of the real meaning of Christmas. But as C. Michael Patton points out in his Christmas post at Parchment and Pen, the real meaning of Christmas is something we should be remembering and practicing all year long. [...]
C Michael Patton on 06 Dec 2008 at 1:42 am #

Susan, that is why I wrote this blog!
Susan on 06 Dec 2008 at 3:42 am #

Michael,

One more thing. Ms. Santa is wondering why you didn’t mention her. She got tired of baking cookies every year and wanted a bigger piece of the action. Santa has recalibrated toward a more egalitarian household. Ms. Santa is now in charge of the elves. She has personally assigned me to keep an eye on you…..just to let you know.

Kringle
Wayne in Frisco on 06 Dec 2008 at 10:27 am #

I really enjoyed reading this post and the comments and getting a different perspective. At my house, we have had Santa every year and I’ve always been bothered by it. I lost the fig.., er discussion about whether or not we would have Santa when our first child was born. He is now 7 and soon, we will be teaching him how and when to lie to his 3 younger siblings and 5 younger cousins so as not to spoil their fun. When he was 4, he was certain that only Jesus could be everywhere at once and Santa could not be real. He was re-educated and will soon become part of the “system”.

I have no problem with the Christmas fun, gifts, trees, etc. but I am convinced that teaching children to believe in Santa undermines their trust when it comes to teaching them biblical truths. While they don’t need to be taught how to lie, helping them and condoning lying for Santa’s sake is unnerving. I’ve painted myself into a corner.

Am I alone in this? It reminds me of that song, “Jesus got run over by a reindeer . . .”.
Glenn E. Chatfield on 06 Dec 2008 at 11:50 am #

Wayne in Frisco,

One of the reasons we taught our children from the begining that Santa wasn’t real was the desire to not have to lie to them. Lying to children for such a simple thing is still lying. We need to teach honesty and trust from the very beginning. But we found no harm in playing the Santa game as long as we also pointed out the harm of greed and how most kids they knew were so very greedy when it came to Santa.

For those worried about being “separate” from the world, I don’t think this is any different than reading Grimm’s fairy tales or going to the movies.
minnow on 07 Dec 2008 at 1:10 am #

My mother was horrified when I refused to tell my children Santa was real. I was going to destroy their childhood. We taught them instead about a whole variety of Santas and Santa traditions and they loved hearing what other people in other countries did to celebrate. Christmas can be “magical” without lies. To this day my children love to play Santa’s eleves especially with their youngest sister. They are 20, 19, 16, 13 and 3. They also enjoy making cookies, decorating the tree and GIVING presents.
Paul from Canada on 07 Dec 2008 at 7:42 pm #

I’ve been reading several Santa debates on various blogs and have even written a post or two on the subject; but now you bring Frosty into the discussion and… whoa!

My kids are in their teens now, but I never gave Frosty any thought, before this. Could Santa be a decoy when Frosty is the real issue? Church people debating the fat guy in the red suit when it’s the roly poly white guy we should be worried about?

And why is Frosty always depicted in three-parts? Is this some quasi trinitarian concept designed to confuse our children?

I know I’m confused right now.
Dr. Paul W. Foltz on 08 Dec 2008 at 8:05 pm #

As a boy, we had a birthday cake for Jesus, sang Happy
Birthday to him and opened one present on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning.

We [My Brother and Sister], were told Santa was just a story, a fairy tale. When I got to be about 12 Years old, I was told that Santa was the world’s substitution for Jesus Christ.
”He knows when you are bad or good.”

As to whether one should observe Christmas let each be persuaded in his own mind, since The Bible no where tells us to observe it.
More Santa… « Bernard Shuford on 11 Dec 2008 at 1:25 pm #

[...] December 11, 2008 @ 1:25 pm } · { Miscellaneous } { } Another highly interesting commentary on Christian perspectives during [...]
jntowers on 11 Dec 2008 at 2:13 pm #

Amen… I’m just glad to hear someone else isn’t able to tell his kids Santa exists. My son is only 13 months, and a daughter on the way in a few weeks, but I’ve thought about this alot, and I just don’t think I’ll be able to do it.

I’m also reminded of the Dana Carvey SNL skit (the Church lady) – Santa being an anagram for Satan… funny stuff.
DR. Paul W. Foltz on 11 Dec 2008 at 4:32 pm #

It’s a sad day when Parents can not tell the truth to their children, but not to hurt their feelings go on telling them the lie about Santa.
Who is in control of the home in such cases/ The Children are.

Dr. Spock has no place in a Christian home. It is anti Biblical.
Jan in Colorado on 14 Dec 2008 at 7:05 pm #

We have three daughters who are now grown with children of their own. Even though we were Baptist we celebrated Advent when they were growing up and they loved the stories and scripture (and of course lighting and quenching the candles!).

We also told them the story of Saint Nicholas and the history of Santa Claus and told them that it was okay to pretend as long as we still remember the real meaning of Christmas. We explained that other children believe that Santa is real and that we shouldn’t try to confuse them by insisting that he is just make believe…that it’s okay to pretend along with them, but that we should share the story of Jesus with them, too.

We had “Santa” presents on Christmas morning that were unwrapped or in stockings (and left out cookies and milk and shook sleigh bells when it was okay to get up and come downstairs). But after breakfast we moved into our Jesus’ birthday celebration and opened one present at a time, focusing on the giver of the gift and the ultimate gift of Jesus.

It was hard to know if it was all getting through, but one Christmas as we were getting ready for dinner my three-year-old daughter stood next to the cake staring at the tiny plastic nativity scene. She turned to me and said, “Mommy, Santa was a good man, but he didn’t die on the cross.”

It doesn’t get any better than that…
Tsh on 18 Dec 2008 at 2:15 am #

LOVE this. It’s exactly how I feel. Thank you for sharing your perspective on good old St. Nick so succinctly.