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 Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:50 am
Being raised in a multicultural home, that was strangely more Catholic than anything else, I don't ever remember Santa being a huge part of Christmas celebrations. He never left us gifts, Mom, Da, and Grannie never spoke of him in reguards to us getting anything from him, so we were never really disappointed when that BMX bike we wanted didn't get under the tree...
Looking back, I don't miss Santa, never having really had him as part of Christmas. I also don't believe that my siblings and I suffered because we didn't have Santa... as we got special gifts from our horses...
What are your thoughts? Should Christians make a big deal about Santa, or not?
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:36 am
Christians shouldn't if their hxc about their religion I guess, otherwise I think it's perfectly fine, especially for children.
My ex-boyfriends mom who is 20 is still asked to write santa letters cause I guess she wants to keep it apart of the family.
Unless she's still trying to fool her 10 yr old daughter.
this season seems to be hard for xtians. To see whether they are hypocritcal or not.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:26 pm
Well, when I was younger, mom and dad always would imply Santa was leaving gifts, but I really don't believe any of us kids ever believed it, but we played along. It was more for fun, than anything.
Now that I have kids of my own, and the Christian Tradition of the meaning of Christmas has become so watered down, we don't even imply it anymore. Christmas is about giving not getting. It's too hard to keep that at the front of my kids heads when all of their friends are talking about what they "JUST HAVE to have" for Christmas.
So, to damage control, I make my kids focus on getting a gift or two for each other, and getting gifts for other family members. The year before last I started teaching who Santa was and the different associated legends of him throughout history, so that maybe instead of expecting from Santa they can learn from him. They know Santa isn't going to come to our house, but my husband and I really enjoy having our kid's appreciation to ourselves. LOL
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:02 am
Santa is a big part of Christmas for the kids in the family, it's a fun tradition and I don't think Christians should be denied it because of their faith but I also think it can get out of hand especially if it becomes more about getting toys and less about the birth of a savior combined with the different stories surrounding the giving nature of Saint Nicholas of Myra.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:20 am
I remember Santa. He wasn't that big of a part of the holiday to me. My mom and sister are doing it with my niece and nephew, but I'm not with my daughter. We are developing our own tradition. My husband and I have been exchanging gifts for the past few weeks and my daughter has gotten a few. She opened a ton this weekend since her grandmother was down here. She had so much fun. So why not make it last only one day when it could last all month or so?
But we will tell her the origin of Santa, Kirs Kringle, Nicholas, whomever you want to say at the moment. We'll explain when she asks. And we'll explain our point of view. Someone said that telling their kids that Santa is real makes them feel like they are lying to their kids. I kind of feel the same way. Also, it's false hope. They'll have enough false hope when they are older.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:22 am
Semiremis Santa is a big part of Christmas for the kids in the family, it's a fun tradition and I don't think Christians should be denied it because of their faith but I also think it can get out of hand especially if it becomes more about getting toys and less about the birth of a savior combined with the different stories surrounding the giving nature of Saint Nicholas of Myra.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:27 am
Santa doesn't have to be a big part of Christmas. He's not important and i don't think Christmas is even mentioned in the bible. So there's no requirement to do it. I guess what i'm trying to say is you don't really need Santa but more of the real idea of Christmas and that whole christmas joy is what you need.
That sounds stupid and shallow and cliche but whatev's
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:14 am
I really don't think Santa is a bad thing, I even tell my son it's not his place to enlighten the kids at school who do believe. I just see the down side of letting my kids believe there's a guy out there who will bring every thing they want if they are good.
I teach my kids that you are supposed to be good all the time, and if you are not, you get punished. I don't bribe my kids to be good. I do praise them, when they do well, and I let them know I am proud of them. They don't expect to have all their dreams and wishes come true on Christmas.
My little cousins are expecting laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras. They are going to throw a fit when they open their gifts. There is not an electronic among them, but they believe they are entitled because they have been extra good (because Santa is watching and they want to make a good impression), since Thanksgiving. It's a false good, if you know what I mean, and I see it with allot of my son's friends too. It makes me want to rage.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:02 am
Eltanin Sadachbia I really don't think Santa is a bad thing, I even tell my son it's not his place to enlighten the kids at school who do believe. I just see the down side of letting my kids believe there's a guy out there who will bring every thing they want if they are good. I teach my kids that you are supposed to be good all the time, and if you are not, you get punished. I don't bribe my kids to be good. I do praise them, when they do well, and I let them know I am proud of them. They don't expect to have all their dreams and wishes come true on Christmas. My little cousins are expecting laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras. They are going to throw a fit when they open their gifts. There is not an electronic among them, but they believe they are entitled because they have been extra good (because Santa is watching and they want to make a good impression), since Thanksgiving. It's a false good, if you know what I mean, and I see it with allot of my son's friends too. It makes me want to rage. I'm going to have to remember that for when I have kids. I agree fullheartedly with you.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:46 pm
My family isn't christian and they told the santa lie to me and I think it's stupid. Lying to your children is stupid and wrong.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:31 pm
It's all personal choice. I honestly don't miss having Santa in my life. My parents raised me with the belief that Santa was real, but I stopped believing in him when I was old enough to read and discovered that it was my mom signing the presents under a pretend name. I was a little upset about that. It was almost as if my parents had lied to me for all those years. Also, in my opinion, Santa is just another excuse for kids to be selfish and demand things that they don't need. I've noticed that Christmas has become all about "what presents did I get?" instead of celebrating Christ's birthday and focusing on Him.
I chose not to raise my kids with the Santa tradition at Christmas, because I feel that it takes away the true meaning of the holiday. When I was little and went to church, the pastor always told the congregation that Christmas was supposed to be about the Saviour and not some fat guy in a red suit. So that is how I am going to raise my kids, without Santa. Sure they can read books about him and watch movies with Santa in them, because that's all he is, a holiday character from books.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 7:07 pm
Thank you all for sharing. If you haven't shared yet, please do.
Also, Have a Happy Christmas.
I just wanted to add that as I was driving home yesterday from work I passed an interesting nativity display. There were the usual figures (Mary, Joseph, the sheep, and cows, Sheepherds, camels, and the wisemen, the star above, and an angel behind the star...) and almost at the end of the property, some three or so feet away from the stable itself was a bare headed Santa figure kneeling in reverence.
Now, I have seen this in paintings and in drawings, but I have never seen it expressed in an actual nativity scene before. I have to say, I rather liked it since it did put the whole reason for the season first...
Oh, I asked my neighbor this morning why the Baby was not in the manger in the nativity... he laughed and told me that it wasn't Christmas yet, so Jesus hadn't made his arrival in the manger.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:19 pm
I honesly don't think Santa should be part of Christmas at all because it takes away the true focus of the season. I love the presents, lol, but Jesus is the point not getting presents from someone who climbs down a chiminy, getting presents being all about Christmas makes it sound like its the holiday of another religion. I'm not trying to offend anyone (Muslims, Jews, etc.)
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:05 am
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