Santa just can't get a break!

Published on December 18, 2006 By foreverserenity In Blogging

Poor Santa Claus, the guy just can't get a break. Like Christmas, most people's (and I say that quite loosely because these days I have no clue as to who but a handful of people, including me, that still loves and celebrates this holiday anymore), getting on the bandwagon of attacking, blaming, maiming, or just plumb ready to cut what most people have treasured for so many years from our history. The guy just can't get a break!

In a recent blog filed under Humor by KFC Link, he's even been compared to or accuse of being Satan! Of all things! It might have seem to be humorous to the writer, or blogger, but that's no laughing matter telling an impressionable child who might just be reading over mom's or dad's shoulder or who might have over heard the discussion that Santa Claus is Satan!!! I'm still scratching my head at that one!

Just like Christmas, which is still under siege by so many who just are too caught up in themselves these days, and their causes, Santa Claus is having just as tough of a time.

In a recent article written on line at Slate.com, an on line magazine, "Santa Claus, Building a better Father Christmas by David Plotz, he too observed that Santa is having a very tough time indeed.

Hollywood has him dying, killing, being kidnapped; in television ads he’s being portrays as a lecher, clumsy – not the efficient lovable rotund guy we know him to be, and even parents are looking at him as a lurking pedophile! Of course the fact that a recent old lecher in real life, dressed up as Santa, was recently arrested for the very thing, doesn’t help allay parent’s fear! Oy!

Now Santa’s in malls all over have to be careful in how they touch children, there are ‘safe zones’ [of course being a parent, I’m all for this one – but am I just as sad as these other parents I wonder?!] One mall has banned their Santa Claus from touch any child at all, I wondered how they got on his lap, wait, that wasn’t allowed if there’s no touching! And how would they give him their list? Hmmm….Mr. Plotz suggested through mail slots, which is highly hilarious!LOL!

Mr. Plotz also said that Animal rights group are now in on the act, Santa’s reindeer are in trouble! The reindeer were removed from the National park Service annual Christmas pageant! And of course Fundamentalist Christians are out to get him since he adds profanity to the sacred holiday. Teenagers are getting in on the act, actually beating him up, as a group of teens did in Holland, and even the Feminists are denouncing him; in Japan he’s nailed to a crucifix! Santa Claus saying “Ho, ho, ho” is even in trouble!

Plotz even suggested that some people may not like the fact that Santa knows what everyone is doing at any given time (you know as in “he knows when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…etc.) and having a list with the details of every little boys and girls all over the world, because this suggests that Santa might just be in on some sort of conspiracy with a “New World Order” scheme!

Poor, poor Santa Claus, yeah, for those of you who like to put a prick in that bubble (hey hold on to those naughty thoughts!), I know that he’s not real.

However the sprit of him is. The thought of what is done by so many around the world who go out of their way to help others, even if they don’t do it all year round, they make a point to do so at this time of the year. This is the time that most charities will get enough monies to meet their quota or at least make three quarters of it. A lot of people and companies give more at this time of the year! So you still think that the idea of Santa Claus is a crock?

What about all of the goodness people dressed as Santa do? Visiting the sick and the home bound, the kids who hardly ever get anything, if at all? Spreading joy and cheer and that warm fuzzy feeling of good-will to all men all around the world?

Well? What say you now? Do you honestly believe that God or his son, Jesus would frown upon Santa Claus? Aren’t these very people doing what God would approve of, giving freely and helping their fellow men? I doubt that God’s sitting on his ‘Throne’ frowning down upon us parents who let our children, the ones who are still young and impressionable, believe that Santa Claus is real.

I have three children, two of them are older and already know that Santa Claus is not real, but the spirit of him is. They know what giving is all about and what good is done for others by the ‘fake’ Santa Claus.

This year I overheard an argument with my son and his younger sister, he was trying to convince her that Santa Claus wasn’t real. I had to put a stop to his dissension. I didn’t want him to spoil it for her because we didn’t spoil the idea of Santa Claus for him when he was her age. He thought about it and agreed with me. Then left it up to me to tell her what I wanted. I told her that there are people who are like Santa Claus who give gifts and toys to everyone so that we all can enjoy Christmas. And isn’t it wonderful that there is someone like that out there who tries to make all the children happy? She agreed with me and then said to her brother, “See, Santa Claus IS real!”

At some point during all the rush, and all the excitement, I take a moment, as I usually do, with all my children, and I re-tell the story of Jesus’ birth and why we celebrate Christmas. And I do let them know that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, blah, blah, blah. So that they don't forget what Christmas really means and what Jesus' birth represents. I have done this since my first born was able to understand, actually since she was three years old. My son told me that he’s glad that I didn’t tell him that Santa Claus isn’t real when he was younger. You see, I have never done that because to us who enjoy the spirit of Christmas, he is!

Mr. Plotz has the right idea when he wrote:

“In an age that valorizes family and capitalism, Santa should be recognized as a champion of both. He has been married to the same woman for 98 years. He operates a fabulously successful toy factory. It has a package delivery system that makes Federal Express look like the Pony Express. Long before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Santa staffed his factory with undersized elves.

Santa is a role model for our ambitious children, the perfect benevolent tycoon. Santa works all year round, then gives away everything he made. This should be the Santa for our time: a Soros of the North Pole, Santa the philanthropist.”

So for those of you who have become so jaded, so cynical and such skeptics, keep your cynicism and skeptics to yourself and stop trying to undo what Santa Claus is, “an invented tradition”. America’s idea of the Jolly St. Nick came about because of the poetry of Clement Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas” who took the idea of the European’s St. Nicholas and made him as American as apple pie!

To read more and the wonderful article written by David Plotz, go to this Link.

[David Plotz is Slate's deputy editor. He is the author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank. You can e-mail him at dplotz@slate.com] .

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Comments

bakerstreet

on Dec 18, 2006

*applause*

foreverserenity

on Dec 18, 2006

Reply By: BakerStreetPosted: Monday, December 18, 2006*applause*

Thank you kind sir!

KellyW0498

on Dec 18, 2006

Donna....I believe!

foreverserenity

on Dec 19, 2006

Donna....I believe!

Amen sister!

dynamaso

on Dec 21, 2006

I believe too, Donna.

Santa as Satan; what a load of BS

foreverserenity

on Dec 21, 2006

I believe too, Donna.

Yeah for the believers!

Santa as Satan; what a load of BS

Crock!

BTW...thx for the card, nice! Mine will be late...

Locamama

on Dec 21, 2006

I tell my boys that when they stop believing in Santa, they will only get underwear for Christmas.

foreverserenity

on Dec 21, 2006

I tell my boys that when they stop believing in Santa, they will only get underwear for Christmas.

Gideon MacLeish

on Dec 22, 2006

I don't like Christmas, but for FAR different reasons than most. Reasons too personal to delve into deeply here. I'll just say "HIGHLY dysfunctional family" and leave it at that.

NOW, that being said...people who try to ruin Christmas for others piss me off. I try to make others happy who DO enjoy the holiday, and, while we don't teach our kids about Santa, except as a fairy tale, we always ask them not to ruin it for their friends who DO believe. After all, nothing's worse at Christmas than some sourpuss trying to disillusion as many kids as they can.

Here's a clue for those who hate Christmas but feel like they must ruin it for others: drink lots of eggnog. And eat that punkin pie. It's all about the pie! (I think I'll make that my *new* Christmas theme).

foreverserenity

on Dec 22, 2006

we always ask them not to ruin it for their friends who DO believe.

That's really nice!

Here's a clue for those who hate Christmas but feel like they must ruin it for others: drink lots of eggnog. And eat that punkin pie. It's all about the pie! (I think I'll make that my *new* Christmas theme).

Haha, nice! I like that idea!

bakerstreet

on Dec 22, 2006

All you have to do is imagine the qualitative benefit for the world between people believing in Santa as Father Christmas and people believing that Santa is the Devil. For some people there are no miracles on 34th street.

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