Saint Nicholas

I used to have a passionate dislike for Santa Claus.

When I had my first baby, I suddenly saw Christmas through different eyes. Everywhere I looked there was the jolly old elf, when what I wanted to see was Jesus. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth, and He was nowhere to be seen. Santa was on display in every store, and on the front of most Christmas cards. Kids were clamoring to sit on his lap and have their photo taken with him. How would I explain to my son why there was a Santa in every mall, when he was supposedly preparing for Christmas at the North Pole? I found it really odd that Santa Claus could see and know everything; characteristics attributable to God alone.

My initial response was to avoid everything about Santa...

When doing Christmas crafts with my friends, they made boxes with Santa; I chose to put an angel on mine. I didn't even want Santa ornaments on my tree, and I especially didn't want my children to believe in Santa Claus. So from a young age, they knew that Santa didn't deliver gifts on Christmas eve. Nevertheless, I also helped them to be sensitive to their believing friends.

Slowly my attitude towards Santa has changed...

I'm not so adamantly anti-St. Nick. In fact, I've embraced St. Nicholas, and now my family has adopted a tradition in his honour. Every December 6th we celebrate St. Nicholas Day. The morning starts early as my kids look to see what small gifts "St. Nicholas" has put in their stocking. Usually there is an orange, a candy, and a small toy like Playmobil. Later we take some time to remember the historical St. Nicholas, by reading books (I recommend Santa Are You For Real by Harold Myra), or listening to tapes.

Saint Nicholas was a real person, who became the Bishop of Myra (hence the red suit), around 300 AD. He was known for his love of children and his great generosity. One story tells how he secretly helped three sisters by providing the dowry money necessary to get married. The coins he threw through an open window fell into their stockings hanging to dry by the fire (hence hanging stockings by the chimney with care). Saint Nicholas exemplified many of the character qualities that Jesus desires for his followers, including being generous to others and giving to the poor.

So now I actually appreciate Santa. In our house we've reached a compromise. He has his day, and on December 25th, Jesus has His. We get to celebrate the good qualities of Saint Nicholas, have an extra day of fun, and still keep Christmas focused on Jesus.

Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!