Today's Thoughts: Santa vs. Jesus

So the title of this post is deceptively controversial... My position on this is really pretty neutral, and not quite as over-the-top opinionated as I can be on other topics. But my mom and I were in the car running errands a couple days ago, and had a discussion that really made me think.

As soon as we saw December 1st on the calendar, several of the blogs and Facebook groups I follow made posts along the lines of, "Keep Christ in Christmas!" or other similar statements, and it made me think about my childhood, and if I ever thought about it in terms of Santa vs. Jesus. One particular blogger that I follow, whom I generally agree with 100% of the time, majorly rubbed me the wrong way with his post about Christmas and feeling that Christians need to remove the "sensationalized and commercialized" idea of Santa from the holiday season. This confused me. It kind of relates to another topic, which I will save for another day, about how I don't think you should "shove" your beliefs on someone who clearly differs in theirs. But... That's definitely a discussion that requires it's own post. ANYWAY... Why can't there be both? Why can't you explain the meaning of Christmas and Santa Clause in such a way that your children still understand the "true" spirit of the holidays? To me and my family, a word to describe that spirit would be GIVING.

I told my mom about this post that I read. I was upset at the fact that there were so many people who take Santa out of Christmas. My mom asked me if I had started to think about how I would explain all of this to Parker when she gets old enough to understand. My reply, I will explain it almost verbatim to how it was explained to me when I grew up... My kids will always know what Christmas represents in terms of Jesus's birth. We will read the story of Christmas in the Bible, we will attend Christmas/Christmas Eve church service, and they will be able to explain it to others if asked. They will also know that Santa Clause helps to represent the spirit and the meaning of Christmas, but not in a materialistic way. Santa, to me, has always represented Saint Nicholas, possibly because I grew up Catholic? Not sure, but that's just how it was explained to me. Folklore surrounding Saint Nick are stories about his secret gift-giving, helping people in need, and performing miracles. His "day" is December 6, and therefore, his spirit of good will carries into the Christmas season. He is the model for and the namesake of Santa Clause. So how is that a bad thing?

It seems simple to me how to relate the two: GIVING. This does not have to mean going out and spending boo-coos of bucks on gifts for people, and it also does not have to mean asking for tons and tons of presents. It means finding ways, however you can, to give to others. While I was growing up, my family ALWAYS made a point to find special ways to give back during the holidays. We are, by nature, fairly philanthropic people... My mom has been given several awards for her volunteer efforts throughout her life :) (I am a proud daughter and love the example she set for us!). But some of my absolute favorite Christmas memories are of my family spending time together, giving to other families and helping spread the spirit. I got presents, sure. I always waited for Santa, and anyone who knows me can tell you, I was (and possibly still am) that annoying kid who spent the entire month of December searching for my presents. But I don't remember what I got. I don't remember opening gifts. I do have very clear memories of working with an organization called "Scotty's Gifts" and buying presents and all of the ingredients for a full Christmas dinner for entire families. I remember my dad dressing up like Santa, driving his truck to these family's homes on Christmas Eve, and delivering the goods. I remember getting hugs from these sweet kids, the parents, and how amazing it felt knowing that I contributed to their holiday in a way that they were not able to.

I remember being much younger and going into a grocery store, running to their giant tree covered in "Angel Tree" ornaments, and searching for a kid who was close to my age. I remember looking at their list, and begging my mom to get them just one more gift! Those are the Christmas memories that mean the most to me.

I was very lucky growing up to have a family who could provide for me all of the things that I needed, but more so the things that I wanted. My life was pretty sweet. But that never stopped my parents from making sure that we knew what the holidays were really about. Now that my family has experienced a major financial hardship the past 5 years, we are not able to give each other those things that we want. We are limited in regard to our personal gift giving. But guess what - we still find ways to give back to others. Because that's what it is all about.

So in an attempt to conclude my ramblings today... here is what I will explain to Parker, and my future children: Santa and Jesus and Christmas. Each comes with their own story of why they are important and why they are represented during the month of December. But all of this also represents a much bigger picture, the spirit of giving. I will make sure they know the Biblical stories, and I will make sure they know of Saint Nicholas and how he became Santa Clause. I will always make sure my family finds ways to give to others, and that my children understand that this is more important than any gift under their own tree.

I do not think that you should take either Santa or Jesus away from your explanation of Christmas. I can't imagine a Christmas without Santa, but that's just me. I think, as with most things in life, it's all in how you present the information. If you read this and when you finish think, "Jenna you are so wrong and you don't know what you're talking about!" That's totally fine by me. My point in writing this is not to offend, and most definitely not to push what I believe on anyone else. It's just to put my position out there, and maybe generate a little Christmas spirit :)

Now - I am off to find my Angel Tree baby and gather up some gifts! Enjoy the holidays.