Jesus vs Santa?

I was raised in a family that celebrated Christmas to the fullest. We were never in danger of overlooking or forgetting the real meaning of Christmas, but my preacher daddy was more excited about Santa Claus than any of the children. I remember being awakened at 2 am to see what Santa had brought! My dad even made up an enduring story about one of Santa's elves, "Skinnypoo", who to this day, lives in the pinky finger of every good little boy and girl. Skinnypoo is only happy when he is helping, so girls and boys who want to make Skinnypoo happy need to be good helpers.

Is Santa a lie? Maybe, but it's more about the magic of childhood. Is Cinderella a lie? What about Spiderman, the Velveteen Rabbit, Harry Potter, and Mary Poppins? Are children so fragile that they must only be given factual heroes? I think not. If children can only handle reality, then you'd better be careful about what books and movies are allowed in your home, to say nothing of television!

My own children were raised with a belief in Santa Claus, but always knew that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. They were also taught that parents pay for the presents Santa brings, so their expectations wouldn't be unrealistic. I don't remember any crushed or damaged psyches when they learned the reality of Santa Claus - no one said, "Well, if Santa isn't real, then Jesus must not be either!"

I have no problem with what parents choose to teach their children. If you don't have room in your life for both Santa and Jesus, I truly hope you're choosing Jesus! But I don't believe it has to be one or the other. I think there's room for both.