Santa Claus
- Thread starter WordTime
- Start date
Santa is not a part of our observance of the holiday. Not for our home or our three children's homes.
Hasn't been for some 6 years now.
Who needs a fitional charater to promice what the parents can't afford, any way???????
sincerely
His
Cliff
Hasn't been for some 6 years now.
Who needs a fitional charater to promice what the parents can't afford, any way???????
sincerely
His
Cliff
Man, I'm hoping more people have some ideas here. Not that yours isn't valuable, Cliff. Our baby is due soon(supposed to be Dec 3rd,but we don't think he's patient enough to wait that long.
), and this is something thaI've been thinking about. How old are your kids, Cliff? DId you start out telling them about Santa Claus, and then just tell them it wasn't true, or did they find out? I don;t really know what we're going to do yet. My wife loves Christmas time, with the decorations and the magic that the idea of Santa Caus brings to it for the kids, especially since they really don't seem to be able to understand the true significance of Jesus' birth and death to it's fullest merit, at least not until they're a little older. I know I didn't, but maybe that was due to my upbringing, and lack of the Christian presence in my house. I wsa thinking that maybe giving gifts as a symbol of the gifts the 3 magi brought to the newborn king would be a good idea. I hope some other people who do and don't go with Santa chime in here. Good thread, WordTime.
-Steve
), and this is something thaI've been thinking about. How old are your kids, Cliff? DId you start out telling them about Santa Claus, and then just tell them it wasn't true, or did they find out? I don;t really know what we're going to do yet. My wife loves Christmas time, with the decorations and the magic that the idea of Santa Caus brings to it for the kids, especially since they really don't seem to be able to understand the true significance of Jesus' birth and death to it's fullest merit, at least not until they're a little older. I know I didn't, but maybe that was due to my upbringing, and lack of the Christian presence in my house. I wsa thinking that maybe giving gifts as a symbol of the gifts the 3 magi brought to the newborn king would be a good idea. I hope some other people who do and don't go with Santa chime in here. Good thread, WordTime.-Steve
violet
Inactive
I am one of the few who doesn't have a problem with Santa Clause, as he was a real person and a very good person who helped the poor and needy, secretively. He stood strong in his Christianity and was even imprisoned for it.
Nothing I add to our Christmas celebration takes away from Christ.
Yes, I am aware too that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25.
And it does not matter to me what the pagans did, as I believe we can take anything bad and turn it into something good.
The pagans worshiped the sun.
I love the sun that God created; I find joy in watching the sunrise and the sunset. I can't help but think of God when I see the sun.
To me Christmas is an opportunity to share Christ with everyone. Yes, something we can do daily, but more hearts are open and accepting during the Christmas season, I find.
Nothing I add to our Christmas celebration takes away from Christ.
Yes, I am aware too that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25.
And it does not matter to me what the pagans did, as I believe we can take anything bad and turn it into something good.
The pagans worshiped the sun.
I love the sun that God created; I find joy in watching the sunrise and the sunset. I can't help but think of God when I see the sun.
To me Christmas is an opportunity to share Christ with everyone. Yes, something we can do daily, but more hearts are open and accepting during the Christmas season, I find.
My husband and I have been talking about this. The story of Santa clause is actually derived from a true story of benevolence which I love! A man by the name of Nicholas was blessed with an inheritance that made him very rich. He was a devout Christian who I believe understood the idea of being a giver! So, he started to buy gifts for people with kids whom he knew did not have money to buy anything and started living those gifts on people's front steps! When I was a little girl living in Romania, we had a St Nicholas day, which came in December, but before Christmas! When this day came, we all left our shoes by the door and the next day we went to see what St Nicholas brought! One year as a punishment for not making good grades, St Nicholas didn't bring me anything! I never forgot that day, and I would NEVER do that to my children! Anyway, that's the story I think we might tell our girls when they are old enough to understand! Until then, Santa is a fun tradition, I think, and I don't believe there is anything wrong with letting him come over and bring presents for a while!
Laura
Laura
I may be a Scrooge...but (yikes)
I'm not going to teach Baby Jessie about Santa.
I remember watching Simpsons over last Christmas and Bart accidentally burned the plastic Christmas tree and hid the mess in the snow outside. He told the family: "Shouldn't we be focusing on the true meaning of Christmas? The birth of Santa?"
I laughed...hard. Then it hit me. I can't teach baby about a mythical man that zips around the world in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. There's no such man. Christmas is about the birth of our Saviour, so that's what I'm going to teach him. We'll still exchange gifts, but it's going to be in observance of a holy day. A holiday.
Likewise, I'm not going to teach baby about the Easter bunny. Instead, the focus is going to come back to the resurrection of our Saviour. He'll still get a basket, oh yeah...that's the fun of it. But it's not going to come from a bunny; it's going to be a reminder of Christ's gift.
I grew up believing in Santa and the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy...and it confused me later on. They were lies, plain and simple. And for a lot of my teen years, I wondered if my parents had lied about Jesus and God as well.
Today, I know the truth.:dance:
I'm not going to teach Baby Jessie about Santa.
I remember watching Simpsons over last Christmas and Bart accidentally burned the plastic Christmas tree and hid the mess in the snow outside. He told the family: "Shouldn't we be focusing on the true meaning of Christmas? The birth of Santa?"
I laughed...hard. Then it hit me. I can't teach baby about a mythical man that zips around the world in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. There's no such man. Christmas is about the birth of our Saviour, so that's what I'm going to teach him. We'll still exchange gifts, but it's going to be in observance of a holy day. A holiday.
Likewise, I'm not going to teach baby about the Easter bunny. Instead, the focus is going to come back to the resurrection of our Saviour. He'll still get a basket, oh yeah...that's the fun of it. But it's not going to come from a bunny; it's going to be a reminder of Christ's gift.
I grew up believing in Santa and the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy...and it confused me later on. They were lies, plain and simple. And for a lot of my teen years, I wondered if my parents had lied about Jesus and God as well.
Today, I know the truth.:dance:
Well when my oldest son was really small, I did the Santa Claus thing. ( I didn't know the Lord back then.) I did tell him the truth about santa when he was about 8.
With my youngest, we didn't encourage the Santa thing at all, it is difficult when little ones are in kindergarten and Santa is everywhere you see, but when he was 6, we really explained how Santa claus was made up, I am talking about the stories of a big fat jolly man in a red suit climbing down the chimney and delivering toys and has flying reindeer. That is the character that everyone associates Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, with.
I probably spoilt the fun for my sons, because all the kids their age believed the whole fantasy, and mine tried to tell the other kids that it wasn't true.
I think the issue for me was keeping up this facade and going along with a fantasy that has gotten so out of control in the world. And adults perpetuate the whole thing with the question to a child 'so what is Santa bringing you this year?'
I just told my kids the truth and talked about Jesus, I would like to think that they are greatful I told them and taught them the difference between fantasy and reality. Maybe I should ask them.
I told my kids at a very young age about the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny being just tales and nothing more aswell. I am a party pooper aren't I?:santa:
My kids still had fun, they just knew that mum and dad were the ones providing the gifts.
butterflywings
With my youngest, we didn't encourage the Santa thing at all, it is difficult when little ones are in kindergarten and Santa is everywhere you see, but when he was 6, we really explained how Santa claus was made up, I am talking about the stories of a big fat jolly man in a red suit climbing down the chimney and delivering toys and has flying reindeer. That is the character that everyone associates Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, with.
I probably spoilt the fun for my sons, because all the kids their age believed the whole fantasy, and mine tried to tell the other kids that it wasn't true.
I think the issue for me was keeping up this facade and going along with a fantasy that has gotten so out of control in the world. And adults perpetuate the whole thing with the question to a child 'so what is Santa bringing you this year?'
I just told my kids the truth and talked about Jesus, I would like to think that they are greatful I told them and taught them the difference between fantasy and reality. Maybe I should ask them.
I told my kids at a very young age about the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny being just tales and nothing more aswell. I am a party pooper aren't I?:santa:
My kids still had fun, they just knew that mum and dad were the ones providing the gifts.
butterflywings
Off the subject: I have a friend, very Christian, whose daughter recently lost a tooth. They told her to put it under her pillow and the Tooth Fairy would come and give her money for it.
Well...the daughter did...and the parents forgot!
About a month later, my friend asked her daughter what happened to the tooth, and the daughter told her she threw it out cuz the Tooth Fairy didn't come.
My friend couldn't tell me the whole story without cracking up.
Well...the daughter did...and the parents forgot!
About a month later, my friend asked her daughter what happened to the tooth, and the daughter told her she threw it out cuz the Tooth Fairy didn't come.
My friend couldn't tell me the whole story without cracking up.
I like a good level of fantasy in my life. That's what can be so great about childhood. Belief in whatever fantasy you choose. So, I've always been on the pro-Santa part of the equation. Though, I now see no reason to lie to children about anything. I think it's about an adult's fear of loosing their own dreams than about instilling thoughts in children.
In the end, no good thing can come from lies. It's fine IMO to tell them the stories, but don't make them "truth". Make it a history lesson or storytale, but make sure the story of Christ is emphasized. Or something like that.
In the end, no good thing can come from lies. It's fine IMO to tell them the stories, but don't make them "truth". Make it a history lesson or storytale, but make sure the story of Christ is emphasized. Or something like that.
Isn't that the same thing, different label?
We will do Santa this year and likely, for several years to come. It adds a fun sense of magic to Christmas, I think. Don't get me wrong, our son will know that Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus. My dad always read the story of Jesus' birth before we opened Santa Claus presents. It was great! We got the best of both worlds and I hope to give Justin that same gift.