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Santa, Family Traditions, and Responsibilities

Do you include Santa Claus in your family’s holiday traditions?

As soon as Halloween is over, Christmas bleeds through the world of marketing and the complaints soon arise. But, it seems to be our annual ritual. While parents may have little hope of changing the trends of media and marketplace, they might be wise to focus their attention on something they have a bit more of a probability of impacting: helping kids understand the value and truth about Santa.

There are many perspectives as to how to celebrate, or even whether to celebrate Christmas and Santa. Christmas as observed in our day is a combination of religious traditions and cultural rites. It is recognized by many families with a combination of seasonal celebrations and mystical stories. The hope is that this piece may provide ideas to consider in developing values that can guide family choices related to Santa as a component of Christmas celebrations.

Here are some points about the positive implications of including Santa in holiday traditions.

• Santa can be an extension of a family’s religious traditions/faith. In learning the roots of the Santa story, you’ll find that St. Nick is central and thereby this is clearly religious based matter.
• While not part of everyone’s tradition, Santa (or other similar Christmas figures) is found in many cultures. It is also part of the unique American Christmas history. Culture and traditions are part of what shape and build family dynamics, and Christmas celebrations are often some of the strongest memory builders in a child’s life.
• Santa is a heroic symbol of having a giving spirit. For some it is about the idea and the story, and it may or may not be faith connected. For these families, the focus of Santa is about communicating values that strengthen family and community, and encourage children to become caring, contributing adults.

As a counterpoint, here are a few examples of complications that can arise from a belief in Santa.

• Caution may lead a parent to consider, “How does the image of Santa impact my child’s perspective of God?” The idea of a mystical figure that loves and cares for us can create confusion if overstated. The concept of Santa “keeping a list” when transferred to God can also create a judgmental view. Eventually there may be tension when the child learns that Santa is a fable. Some may wonder, based on parents’ presentation, “…if Santa is a story, will they someday tell me that God or Jesus is a story too?”
• Some kids may struggle with concepts of truth and trust based on how the family practices a Santa tradition. Be careful to develop a healthy balance between family play and fantasy, and “truths.”
• Santa and Christmas can easily drift from good intentions into another excess of materialism and consumerism. Be careful to keep the work of Santa in balance. Consider what is generous and appreciated, as compared to what is over-indulgent and possibly detrimental.
• Have a reasonable idea of when and how to help kids transition from a childish belief in Santa to a realistic understanding and acceptance of the story. A friend, Kristi, tells the story of her school teacher calling her parents to express the need for them to inform Kristi, then ten years old, of the Santa reality (or lack of reality). The teacher feared that Kristi’s intense defense of Santa as real might result in a conflict with other students. I doubt many parents want Santa to go from a fun family tradition to a classroom scandal.

In all, I think that Santa and Christmas offer great opportunities to strengthen family ties and learn deeper values. Making international choices about the why and how a family celebrates Santa can enhance the experience for all.