Santa Claus is not:
1) A contender for godhood.
Santa Claus is not omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, or immortal. The American Santa is a composite character evolved from ancient Christian stories and even older pagan mythologies. He has been used for political and marketing purposes. Our hope for the 21st Century Santa is to make him into a benign model for the good of children’s mental, emotional and spiritual health.
2) An enforcer of discipline.
We fervently believe that the best way to love a child is to support his/her parents. Santa can be a parental avatar; allowing the parent to anonymously gift the child. However, we do not want to participate in the contract of good behavior equals presents. Christmas is about Grace: receiving that which none of us deserves. There are no more switches or coal and there should also be no threats of nothing under the tree or in the stocking.
3) A promoter of lies.
So what can we do with the accoutrements of flying reindeer, elves, the North Pole Toyshop, and chimney entrances, etc.? Today’s children are much better informed than when we were children. Children now have more information input and figure out that Santa is a myth soon after they learn to read. We do not actively work to remove the accoutrements, but we do not push them either, looking at them as a part of “the game”. They will dwindle and die on their own without recriminations from the growing child or guilt in the parent.
There is real magic in the Santa Claus experience, but it comes from the children themselves. We prefer that they invent their own backstory for Santa. They do this much better!
1) A contender for godhood.
Santa Claus is not omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, or immortal. The American Santa is a composite character evolved from ancient Christian stories and even older pagan mythologies. He has been used for political and marketing purposes. Our hope for the 21st Century Santa is to make him into a benign model for the good of children’s mental, emotional and spiritual health.
2) An enforcer of discipline.
We fervently believe that the best way to love a child is to support his/her parents. Santa can be a parental avatar; allowing the parent to anonymously gift the child. However, we do not want to participate in the contract of good behavior equals presents. Christmas is about Grace: receiving that which none of us deserves. There are no more switches or coal and there should also be no threats of nothing under the tree or in the stocking.
3) A promoter of lies.
So what can we do with the accoutrements of flying reindeer, elves, the North Pole Toyshop, and chimney entrances, etc.? Today’s children are much better informed than when we were children. Children now have more information input and figure out that Santa is a myth soon after they learn to read. We do not actively work to remove the accoutrements, but we do not push them either, looking at them as a part of “the game”. They will dwindle and die on their own without recriminations from the growing child or guilt in the parent.
There is real magic in the Santa Claus experience, but it comes from the children themselves. We prefer that they invent their own backstory for Santa. They do this much better!
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