Rudolph, Santa, and Jesus

Thus far I haven’t mentioned my own position on Santa Claus. I’ve simply been interacting with certain objections.

I find it puzzling that the Christian critics of Santa Claus (at least the ones I’ve been dealing with) ignore a fairly direct objection to Santa Claus, and instead divert their energies to pretty dubious ancillary arguments.

If I were arguing against the Santa Claus, the obvious, straightforward objection would be that Santa detracts from Jesus. He can become a substitute Jesus. That’s reinforced by the popular kid flick Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, complete with catchy tunes–which can function as a secular substitute for the nativity accounts in Matthew and Luke.

Add to that secular Christmas songs like “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “Let it Snow,” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and you have the makings of a rival narrative to the true Christmas story. A self-contained alternative that never intersects with the true significance of Christmas.

(Mind you, kids don’t seem to take this nearly as seriously as some adults.)

If we celebrate Christmas (which I favor), then I think we should prune back the dead wood of various Christmas customs to focus on the Christian elements. The birth of Christ in Matthew and Luke. Messianic prophecies. Christian Christmas carols and other Christian Christmas music (e.g. Handel’s Messiah).

Certain Christmas traditions complement the Christian focus. Light is a biblical metaphor. The tree of life, both in Genesis and Revelation, is a potent Biblical symbol. (Indeed, more than a symbol in Gen 2.) So there’s nothing wrong with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. Or the crèche.

Likewise, the Magi brought gifts to Jesus. And Jesus is, himself, the supreme gift. So gift-giving is not incompatible with the true meaning of Christmas. (At the same time, Christmas shopping can be stressful and financially onerous for some.)

The first Christmas was also a social event–the birth of a son to Mary and Joseph, witnessed by the shepherd. So it’s natural to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.

Christmas Christian cards are an occasion to spread the word, as well as reconnecting with distant friends and relatives. (Although cards can be expensive.)

If Christian parents play along with the Santa myth, I don’t think there’s anything inherently harmful in that exercise. On the other hand, if their kids ask about Santa, they can use that as a “teaching moment” to redirect attention to the real meaning of Christmas. In other words, if the world uses the Santa myth to deflect attention away from Jesus, Christians can reverse that process. It’s a two-way street.

Finally, from what I’ve read, some parents raise their kids in the Santa myth, not merely because they think their kids will enjoy it, but because the Santa myth reminds parents of their own childhood. A wistful recollection.

At a certain level they lament the loss of childhood. The lost wonder, security, and innocence.

Of course, not everyone had a happy childhood, but for those who did, there’s often a sense of regret. While we want to grow up, we miss some things we had to leave behind in the process. And that’s because childhood naturally has a somewhat Edenic quality.

Yet the Christmas story includes the hope of the New Eden to come. Not a reversion to childhood, but a restoration of all the best that childhood represents. And that is even truer for those who never had a happy childhood.