I had just come from an office Christmas party. There was a discussion about whether one should tell little children about Santa Claus. Clearly, this co worker, who is a mother to 3 very young children, saw no point of telling her kids about a bearded white man who does not exist. To pretend that he and only he gives out presents to kids is, for her, plain and simple, a lie.
A lie is defined as a false statement with a deliberate intention to deceive. That Santa Claus does not exist is a true statement, and to say otherwise is a false statement. But, were the parents harboring a deliberate intention to deceive?
The young mother to 3 very young children thinks so. And, so do historians and non-Christians, and atheists, and other Christians, like the young mother, who given the chance, would like to put an end to this particular season.
As for me, I know that to make a claim that Santa exists is not a true statement. Yet, I do not not see Santa as existing in the material sense of the word. He does exist in the spiritual sense of the word the way my deceased father does. My father has not existed in the material, factual world for more than 2 decades. But, because his children still think of him, relive the memories they had had with him and, more importantly, practice his moral and spiritual values, his presence is felt as though he were physically alive. It is the same with Santa Claus, whose spiritual presence had taught me, when I was young child, and now as middle aged man, the value of giving more than receiving, and the rekindling of the sense of togetherness, and the remembrance of those who are unfortunate.
But, how can we tell our young children about these spiritual values? To them, these values are intangible and abstract. What they need is to see the embodiment of these spiritual values. So, why not tell them the truth about who does the giving?
I don’t have an answer to that. All I can say that when I was a child, Christmas season and Santa Claus was the most exciting, and an extremely magical event. As a child, I loved the festivity, and I cherish many memorable moments I had with my family and Santa Claus, whom I believe to exist because of the gifts that I always find another the Christmas tree.
As I grew older, I was sad to discover that Santa Claus did not exist and that the gifts were not from him. And, yet, because of my age, I appreciated something more important, more special: it was the act of giving. It was my father who told me how much he loved to see his children become so excited and happy. It was not until I became a father myself that I understood what my father had done for me and my siblings and my mother; and, lastly, for himself. In return, we gave him a gift: a memory of a beautiful family so close knit and so much love in the air.
This is why I still believe in Santa Claus.
