Question about Santa Clause

[kuntrygurl_26]

Do you celebrate christmas with doing the Santa thing? IE getting gifts and stocking stuffers and telling your kids that Santa is coming. If not who do you celebrate christmas? In my house we do exchange gifts but we dont say they are from santa. We exchange gifts because when God was born he recieved three gifts. That is why we do it. Who about you?

 

[tanya88]

No we don't do the Santa thing. It makes me sad when people forget or not even know the real meaning of Christmas. When i hear the Santa Clause is comeing to town song it makes me mad "he sees you when you're sleeping he knows when you're awake".

 

[Jesusong]

My wife & I didn't do the Santa thing either. We taught our kids that Santa was make believe. But to keep it fun for them, we let them go to the children's Christmas parties and get a gift from the Santa that was there.

 

[Wigglesworth]

Santa died. He's in heaven, and he's not coming back until all the other saints do when Jesus Christ does.

 

[BubblesRelena]

I never grew up believeing in Santa Clause. My parents didn't want to raise my brother in that way. And I personally agree with them. I mean, what's the point in lieing to your kids? When they finally do realize that there is no Santa they'll know that you lied to them, and that teaches them that it's okay to lie, which sends out the wrong message entirely.

We have a "fish, moose, and snowman" theme in our house. The moose are there because I like moosies ^.^". The fish are there because my father loves fishing, and the snowmen are there because my mom still wants a winter theme, but nothing with santa.

We exchange gifts, and everyone knows who they're from. I met some church people once who got on our cases about giving gifts on Christmas. They said we're celebrating a pegan holiday and aren't christians because of it. We defend ourselves by saying that we have a giving heart. We don't give because we have to, but because we want to. It also teaches the younger kids that when you give, you do recieve. Because sometimes when kids are at a very young age they don't understand that and they need to visually see it.

We don't celebrate Christ on Christmas though. People say He was born on Christmas but He really wasn't. That's just the day He's celebrated to be born because back-in-the-day Christians weren't allowed to celebrate His birth, but there was a holiday that some other people celebrated. They worshiped trees (heh, which is now known as the christmas tree), and so the Christians pretended they were doing the other people's holiday, but in secret they were celebrating Christ's birthday. I don't take one day a year (or two if you count Easter) to Thank God and celebrate Christ's birth and life, I do that all of the time. I remember Him year around, so that's important in our family not to just set one day apart from the rest. We've grown up knowing that everyday with Christ is special and everyday we should celebrate Christ, not just one.

But yeah, that's what we do for christmas.

~BubblesRelena

 

[xsynerinc]

a true saint of God who went out giving gifts to the poor people in his area.

(my thoughts): apparently it was something that other believers did not do in those days. or else he was the one saint singled out to embody that spirit of giving that other saints had also done.

we knew this information when we raised our son so we told him the real story - and from there we allowed him to go get a gift from "the santa" that came to the fire station.. we did this so he wouldnt be left out in participating with other kids in the community..

much the same with the 'hollow'een season. i personally feel that it mocks our loved ones who had died.. and it mocks the resurrection so we never put up 'ghosts, goblins, witches, lit pumpkins and such' in or outside our house..
for him he understood it as a time to dress up and pretend to be some (heroic, good) character and get treats in school class.
during the years when he was young.. we explained to our son that celebrating in a spirit of generously giving treats to those who came to our house was a way of redeeming the paganistic day.. he stayed at home, dressed in his costume and greeted kids who came to the door and handed out the candy.

there were a number of times during the christmas season that we encouraged our son to "be santa" when picking out a gift for a member in the family.
that way he understood the fun of keeping the secret.. and joy of giving as well as recieving.

 

[Street Smarts]

Yes we do Santa Claus and it was extremely fun. We also have a birthday cake for Jesus to celebrate His birthday and explain that that He is the reason for the season.
I was brought up with Santa Claus and when I found out I never thought that it was lying from my parents and thus said it was alright to lie. I believe that this is a little overboard. MY daughter knows that Jesus is the reason but also understands the excitement and joy in giving.

 

[Palavra]

Yes we do Santa Claus and it was extremely fun. We also have a birthday cake for Jesus to celebrate His birthday and explain that that He is the reason for the season.
I was brought up with Santa Claus and when I found out I never thought that it was lying from my parents and thus said it was alright to lie. I believe that this is a little overboard. MY daughter knows that Jesus is the reason but also understands the excitement and joy in giving.

I think you said it very well. Actually, I don't even remember "believing" in Santa, and I know I wasn't traumatized by finding out the truth. Still, I do realize that it is more important that my daughter realize that real meaning of Chrsitmas. Hopefully, my husband and I can figure out a healthy balance.

 

[rapturefish]

My cousin tells her kids that Santa isn't real. They accept that. But they also put on a santa hat when giving out the presents from under the tree to the rest of us. Knowing the truth, we can still do the santa thing as somethign for fun. I guess it's also an opportunity to tell the story of Saint Nicholas prior to Coca-Cola's spin on it, thus giving an example of charitable sainthood to follow.

blessings,

RF <><

 

[Andrew]

My cousin tells her kids that Santa isn't real.

Well actually he is.

There is actually a Santa Claus living in Sweden and another in Finland.

He's got his nice little cottage in the snow where he makes presents and answers letters. He's also got his reindeer, although these can't fly. Fulltime job with the works.

Saw it on Discovery or some Christmas programme last week. So it's not entirely true that he doesnt exist.

 

[kuntrygurl_26]

At my house we each get 3 gifts because that is all that Jesus got when he was born. He is the reason for the season and the reason that christmas is celebrated. Im sure it wasnt exactly on Dec. 25th but we still celebrate it on that day. When I was small my mom told me there was a santa but still stressed to me that Jesus was the main reason we celebrated this holiday. I was in Christmas plays at church about Jesus each and every year when I was smaller. When I get married and have children I will probably teach then the same thing my mother taught me. When I found out he wasnt real I wasnt angry nor did I think it was okay to lie. My mom did really emphasise much on the santa thing. She told us about him sure but we all grew up knowing that the real reason for CHRISTmas is Christ!

 

[Heinrich]

I don't really like christmas. One we have to go to my family every year and then the people pretend to be nice but is actually irretated with each other
Originally (pre-christian dates) 25 dec (or about there) was the feast of the rebirth of the sun or something like that. (because in europe that is the longest night more or less) and then there was lots of other pagan practices in those days in europe (sinse the jews didn't really evangelize the world

now in early christian centurious at some time christianity become sorta the most popular religion in europe and also the state religion for the roman empire. at some time.
Now after a while they realized that they can no longer celebrate the rebirth of the sun. Or some other things like fertility God's and weird stuff of which we seem to have little or no information left. (btw where do you think that kiss under the mistletow leavy thing comes from? and the christmas tree?)
So they replaces pagan feasts with "christian" feasts.. unfortunately many pagan practices remained.

I'm not sure where santa and the whole presents thing came from... but I'm not convinced that it's because the wise men gave jesus presents..
btw they only met jesus when he was already a young child. not a baby anymore! The only people that met Jesus in the stall was the shepherds after the angels told them.
I was once told that we give gifts to remind each other of the gift of Jesus to this world.. althought that might be true to some extent I think that is not really what is happening.

I'm don't think christmas is totally bad.. but look at it a bit. It's not like Jesus gets glorified anymore... or that the world gets told that Jesus came to die for there sins. There is still church services in many places but it's mostly older people.
For the business world it's an incredible marketing feat. And for most people it's a time to recieve presents. I think Jesus cries on christmas. And even in our so called christian family I sometimes wonder if we're not worshipping the tons of food that day?

And why is the broadend church not keeping the jewish feasts that God himself instituted??? I mean they point to Jesus's first and second coming.
We should rather first keep the feast of tabernacles as christians and then later worry about christmas.

God bless ya!

 

[InigoMontoya]

I don't include Santa in the holiday festivities, and I won't set up a christmas tree.

The "real" orgins of the holiday startle me quite a bit, but I don't think they're as important as the intent that "some" Christ loving Christians show.

As for the real St. Nick, even the RCC officially admits theres so little evidence of him or miracles, that theirs been serious discussion of if he should be considered a saint.

 

[Heinrich]

I'm lost? Who is St. Nick?
And why is only dead people saints according to the RCC? I mean did Paul write letter to dead people?