Should Christians Teach Their Kids About Santa Claus?
Before Jolly Old Saint Nick became the myth known as Santa Claus, he was Nicholas of Myra, a pastor in modern day Turkey. Nicholas was born into a wealthy family and gave his wealth away. In one occasion, he paid the dowries of three sisters by dropping gold coins in their window. Some have said that he dropped the money down a chimney, which is where that part of the Santa myth comes from. He had a reputation for giving gifts in secret, putting coins the shoes of those who left them outside their door. Some have said Nicholas put gold coins in stockings hanging by the window to dry, which is where we get the tradition of putting gifts in Christmas stockings.
When Diocletian became Emperor of Rome, he persecuted Christians severely. One of whom was Nicholas. In 313, when the persecution ended, Nicholas was released from prison, covered in his own blood, and the people called him Nicholas the Confessor, because even in the face of persecution, he still confessed Christ.
There’s a story of Nick attending the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. When Arius sang his blasphemous hymn about Jesus being created by God (“The uncreated God created the Son, the beginning of all things! / The uncreated God adopted the Son, advancing himself as King. / The persons in the Trinity do not share equal glory.), Nicholas slapped him!
And that was the real Nicholas. Over time, legend turned to myth and Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus.
Now, surely you’ve heard it suggested that if you teach your kids that Santa is real, you’re lying to your children. But, the Santa myth is also bearing false witness about a real person – a brother with whom we share our inheritance in Christ.
Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:12)
Nicholas gave what he had to help the less fortunate. He confessed Christ Jesus as Lord and was beaten for what he preached. He was zealous for sound doctrine and called out false teachers.
Telling kids that he’s a magic man, watching their behavior from the North Pole with elves and eight flying reindeer, distributing presents on Christmas Eve, and eating their cookies is not a better story. Don’t take Christ out of the life of a man who was all about Christ.
1 Timothy 4:7 says:
Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths, rather train yourself for godliness.
And folks, Santa Claus is an irreverent silly myth.
…when we understand the text.
(This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central.)
