I honestly don't know that I have much to add beyond a few practical reflections. First of all, I promise I have zero judgement for Christians who do Santa with their kids. No seriously. My husband and I both grew up with Santa and we turned out okay. My own decision was based on a personal conviction that it felt like a lie and a distraction for ME. I didn't feel that it was for other families but for me personally, I felt convicted not to. Knowing that, how could I then go against my own personal convictions in order to maintain the cultural status quo? That's just not how I roll. Maybe it's because I'm too type A and am lacking in the creative play gene but it never felt like make believe to me. It felt like a lie and a distraction.
As for the practical side of how to we avoid it, to be honest we're still figuring that out. We sort of just take it one day at a time, one Christmas at a time. My daughter knows who Santa is and she has the same fondness for him as she does Minnie Mouse or Dora the Explorer. They are characters. She enjoys engaging in stories about them but at almost 4, she has no idea that Santa is "supposed" to bring presents. He never has in our house. I'm certain that she associates him with Christmas, much like snow, lights, or the Christmas tree. But we have never emphasized him as the pinnacle for the build up of the holiday season. We don't talk about him at all, unless we happen to see him out somewhere. (Or any older man with a beard for that matter.) When we do see him out, I let her go sit on his lap for a picture if she wants. She always wants to say hi like they're old friends. This year I almost felt guilty because all my friends were posting pictures of their kids screaming with Santa and mine actually took a great picture with him. Go figure. Maybe it's because they have no fear of him or any list he might keep, who knows. I'm guessing next year I'll have a lot more questions from her but I'm prepared to answer them with truth and perhaps the story of the real St. Nicholas. But my intention is to always emphasize Christmas as one of the two most holy celebrations we engage in. I have a hard time believing anyone can convince a young child that it's not about the gifts when the biggest emphasis is, well, the gifts. The gifts should be an afterthought, a dallop of whipped cream on top of the hot fudge brownie sundae that is Advent and the Christmas season.
My point in bringing it up is not to try to convict anyone else to stop doing Santa. (Though I truly do hate the Elf on the Shelf and would be happy to try to convince others of that. 😉) My point is that we all have our own personal convictions. We need to stop comparing where we measure up against other people's standard and start to figure out where our own standards are. Or even better, where God's unique standard for us is. I don't like when I fall short of standards other people have set for me but I will lose sleep over falling short of my own standards and convictions. So Merry Christmas and ho ho ho, and regardless of who the presents under your tree are from, remember that we celebrate Christmas because of the greatest gift we could ever receive...a Savior.
"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for ALL the people [not just the Christians, not just the Jews, but ALL the people!]. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." Luke 2:10-11 (emphasis mine)
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