The great white Santa Clause lie & what Is Christmas discussion....

On Facebook a friend just posted that she feels guilty lying to the children about Santa.  She has a range of ages in the household and any minute now the older ones will get wise to her jive and leak the news to the young-ins.  It is interesting that she believes the children will see the lie and question the truth in all of the God figures.  Santa Clause has become a mythical figure that knows if the child has been good or bad.... Wouldn't it be far better- even in a non-particularly religious household-- for the children to understand Christmas? 

It's really not that complicated: the world is celebrating a great man's birthday. 

This man impacted many lives.  Although his goodness can still be seen today, and his love for humanity in general still shows, he is not "here" so we celebrate his memory and on his Birthday we can't give HIM gifts- so we give each other gifts.  So Christmas is named after Jesus Christ, well that's his name!

....that's easy to comprehend for just about anybody. 

Santa Clause fits in because he's another good man of history, he lives on in spirit, his spirit inspires others to give gifts, his past good deeds inspire others to do good deeds around this holiday and so he is also celebrated.

If you want to be remembered, and be put on his list to get gifts, then you need to be good, and give to others too.  It's not just about being good to get stuff, it's about giving to get....and in giving=there is goodness.  

I can't imagine how many people are harboring secret insecurities because their parents had fun watching them scurry around all freaked out that Santa could see them pinching their little sister and they thought they wouldn't get that shiny widget on Christmas morning!  So, in my opinion- Santa on! But, don't let the obsession for gifts on that day get out of hand, and don't spin Sant Clause as a god figure in the first place.

On a side note----Little beastly kids whining that they got girl toys instead of boy toys telling parents that they hate them? [Jimmy Kimmel, show sp?]  Is that really the kinds of little adults you want to raise?