Santa Claus or No Santa Claus?
The Christmas season is not coming; it is here. It is a time during which people will experience the annual celebrations and gatherings with those they love. They will also see that jolly man—you know, the one with the red suit and white beard. Santa Claus. But just this past week, I observed barbed posts on social media about the evils of Santa Claus. Specifically, these posts claimed that Christians should not participate in such grand lies regarding a non-existent person. I hate to admit the fact that I ended up going down the rabbit hole by responding, but maybe it was because I worked as Santa Claus at our local mall. Does this mean I played a role in the great cabal of this cosmic farce?
This snow flurry of posts included statements such as “If you lie about Santa Claus, then your kids will think you are lying about Jesus.” There was also this one: “Santa Claus has replaced God, as Santa knows everything, rewards, and punishes people.” If you were not feeling like a horrible parent yet, the zinger was this one: “Telling your kids about Santa is akin to having a millstone tied around your neck for causing your kid to stumble,” about which Jesus warned in Matthew 18.
The posting thread continued like one running through an ugly Christmas sweater. I had read enough. So, I gently posted this comment: “The Santa tradition is just fun, joy, and imagination.” Well, the fuse was lit. Tick tock, tick tock, boom. Posting bombs began going off everywhere. Since I am a pastor, one reply was to tell me that “you’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” My first thought was “that’s kinda aggressive,” but that is the state of the social media sphere today. The comments kept coming.
Needless to say, this got me thinking whether a Christian family should participate in the tradition of Santa Claus. I have heard and read arguments on both sides of the debate, so I clearly see both sides’ points. Both have solid reasoning and Biblical priorities at heart.
However, I write not to tell your family whether to celebrate the tradition of Santa Claus. Sorry, this is not my big concern this time of year. Nonetheless, let me share a few perspectives we considered when we decided to enjoy the tradition of Santa Claus in our family. I recognize that others, even my adult kids, may choose differently for their families, and I respect those choices.
First, let’s step back for a moment and see the big picture. There are no chapter and verse in the scriptures that command us to celebrate Christmas, or even Easter. Scripture is silent on what has become a cultural holiday. In scripture, there are no prescriptive or descriptive practices for those holidays. Remember, as a Christ-follower, every day is Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. The Gospel compels us to live out a daily celebration.
This does not mean I am one of those against the celebration of Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. On the contrary, I love the holidays. The bottom line, since there is no explicit command regarding these wonderful holidays, is thus freedom for the Christian. When it comes to freedoms, Romans 14:5 states, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind”; therefore, people need to decide for themselves how to celebrate (or not).
In our family, we knew Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, so we always made this the priority, the focus of the season. We read about it, sang about it, celebrated it, and watched plays and videos about it. We even made it a physical part of our home with multiple manger scenes over the years. Our kids were never confused or struggled to understand the true meaning of Christmas.
In our family, we created traditions that we still enjoy to this day. The merrymaking of the imaginary story of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, lights, and sparkling red and green decorations is what makes the holiday for the birth of Jesus so special to us. What a great time of joy, imagination, and storytelling we enjoyed as a family. Our kids were never hindered by the fictional story of Santa Claus, perhaps because we never pushed this story telling hard on our kids. We simply had fun together.
Our ability to create, dream, and imagine is what keeps a childlike aspect in each of us. In a world of prepackaged everything, we have lost the imagination of a C.S. Lewis or a Walt Disney. I am so thankful for this grace gift of imagination, and it is on full display at Christmas. I love the sparkle and laughter that many Christmas traditions bring to a family. I love the beauty and wonder that are displayed during the season. All of these grace gift experiences enrich our celebration of the greatest day on earth, the birth of our Savior.
So that is what we have done, and no doubt some of you will choose to celebrate Christmas differently. In any case, I commend you for your sensitivity to how the Lord is leading you. Let’s all enjoy together this great season.
May this Christmas be merry.
