

Can Jesus and Santa Get Along?


Sinterklaas, retains St. Nicolas' bishop's mitre (the funny hat).


Why the struggle? For some parents, Christmas and Santa Claus go together like white and red striping on candy canes. You cannot separate the two. Santa is everywhere and just about every culture. For others, Christmas and Santa are a clashing pair like fruitcake and tofu. Many Christians lament telling the myth of Santa Claus to their children because they believe it sends the wrong message of Christmas: The holiday is about getting presents from a jolly fat guy and not the celebration of Christ’s birth.

At the same time, parents do not want to be a Grinch about Santa. Nobody likes that kid in school going around telling everyone that Santa isn’t real. Parents are then confronted with the reality of explaining how and why Santa is not real. Either parents go with the flow of Santa or become Santa haters.

Is there a better way to involve Santa Claus into the Christmas mythos? Can Santa Claus can be taught from a Christian perspective? Can we work Santa into Christmas without tearing out the hearts of little children?

Today, we can thank the Dutch for Santa Claus. The Dutch celebrate Christmas with Sinterklaas (also, Black Peter, but that is a whole other mess) who teaches children about giving, generosity, and service.  He even looks like Santa. Sinterklaas then morphed into Santa Claus when English peoples adopted him for their own celebrations. Once English speaking peoples adopted Sinterklaas as Santa Claus, he became a commercialized icon.

The figure of Sinterklaas was a Dutch effort to honor a fourth century saint name Nicholas, who is highly revered in Eastern Christianity. The historical figure, Saint Nicholas, was a bishop of Myra. Several stories exist about Nicholas, but the most prevalent features Nicholas giving gold or money to poor children. One story tells of Nicholas giving money to three poor daughters who were destined to live in poverty without a dowry (pictured right). Some attribute the hanging of stockings on Christmas to Nicholas because another story tells of Nicholas putting money in poor children’s socks.

St. Nick in the window - sans the red coat & mitre.

Sinterklaas and Santa have a murky trail from Saint Nicholas, but the connections are there.  In Holland, Sinterklaas walks around with Christian symbols: his red bishop’s mitre, crozier, and cross.

So, how do live in a culture of Santa Claus without being a grumpy Scrooge while still maintaining the celebration of Christ?

Christians can teach their children the story of St. Nicholas’ and his virtuous deeds. Not that he magically appears in people’s houses, but that he is a figure of generosity, service, and kindness. Instead donating cookies to the jolly fellow on Christmas Eve, parents can teach their kids to donate gifts to those who have  none. Instead of teaching a watered down version of St. Nicholas through Santa, we can teach children about the historical fourth century Christian who gave and did not expect to receive.

Selfishness abounds in our American story of Santa, but it does not have to be that way. Jesus and Santa can get along. We can see Santa, in his red robe, beard, and hat as a person that teaches about the St. Nicholas story and who embodies the message of Jesus Christ: selfless love.  Instead of Santa Claus, parents can call him St. Nicholas. By minimizing the gimmick of Santa, children can focus the virtuous portions of the St. Nicholas imagery.

Go ahead. Take that picture with Santa Claus, er… St. Nicholas.  Teach children the St. Nicholas story. Instead of children asking for gifts for Christmas, have children ask St. Nicholas what they can do to serve others through generosity, service, and kindness.

As for explaining the Christian significance of Rudolph and his reindeer games, you will have to ask the Easter Bunny for advice.

Reverend Alan Rudnick

16 Responses

  1. UnderstatedSensationalism says:

    Just wanted to say great article. Seems people (in America) forgot about the origins of Santa Claus after Madison Avenue hijacked and morphed his image/message.

  2. Understated, thank you for reading and for the comment! Blessings!

  3. Maria says:

    Great post. I agree completely. Toys for Tots is a great way for children to learn to give to others.

    And one more thing, about the earlier post about Advent. One good way to remind people about the reason for the season is midnight mass. Only a few churchs have it anymore. The singing is wonderful and people who only go to church on Christmas and Easter (like me)enjoy it. I think those churches that do offer the mass should advertise it.

  4. BSmeter says:

    Troy is right in the middle of the changeover from Christmas being a religious holiday to the buying binge of today. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” later attributed to Clement Moore, was first published in the Troy Sentinel in the mid-1800s.
    Using the description of St. Nicholas — and the fact he had eight reindeer (but not Rudolph) — Thomas Nast drew illustrations for newspapers of how Santa Claus looked. (Interesting sidelight, Nast was a newspaper editorial cartoonist and, supposedly, the word “nasty” derives from his works.)
    It didn’t take long before “Santa” cropped up in all kinds of advertising and then sat on thrones in the middle of department stores.
    If only the giving of gifts to celebrate someone else’s birthday had grown up around July 4, the birth of our country.
    Then Christmas could have remained the religious celebration. Of course, look into how Christmas came to be celebrated on Dec. 25 if you want to see how religion co-opted a celebration.

  5. gray cat says:

    Santa is just a capitalist plot to make us spend our money..oh, wait, I thought this was the Occupy Albany blog..nevermind ;)
    I never had a problem with celebrating Santa and long as Jesus gets top billing…

  6. Ann says:

    I find it mind boggling that Christians are anti-Santa since he is a Christian saint.
    My parents taught me at a young age that Christmas was for giving as much as receiving. They would have me get gifts for them and grandparents and eventually I started buying those gifts with my own money.
    That was very helpful when my parents had to inform their every niave daughter that santa did not exist; they would only have one or two presents from “Santa” and the rest from them.
    Santa died but he was real.
    i don’t think it’s fair to use Santa as a symbol of out of control spending. it’s not his fault we’re all to silly to stick with a budget!:)

  7. Theophile says:

    Hi Alan,
    When George Washington crossed the Delaware on Dec.25, wasn’t it because “those Pagans will be drunk in their Christmas/Saturnia celebrations”? Does the Bible direct us to annually observe birthdays? Wasn’t it Pharaoh and Herod(Pagans), that celebrated annual birthdays, by killing a prisoner? Umm.. sorry to be such a ecumenical wet blanket here, but wouldn’t teaching children the historical/Biblical truth, be a better approach? There is one date mentioned more than any other as a date to be observed annually in the Bible, and that is Passover, the date of Christs crucifixion, why does the “church” ignore that day, and keep a Pagan celebration that the Bible mentions Herod(killer of John the baptist) keeping, while planning to kill Peter? Ask the Easter bunny for advice!…not
    Here’s an idea: Read Foxes book of Martyrs** to Your children, and give them a discerning attitude about following traditional worldly doctrines that are not found in the Bible.

  8. Theophile, that’s what I wrote. Tell of the historical truth about St. Nicholas. He was a disciple of Jesus Christ. Christianity is full of stories of faithful people. Those faithful stories encourage and teach us.

  9. Santa Claus says:

    Dear Rev. Alan:

    Thank you for your thoughtful piece about Jesus and Santa. It might interest your readers to know that my legal name is Santa Claus, and I’m a consecrated Bishop and Monk, as St. Nicholas was many centuries ago. I serve as a volunteer advocate for millions of vulnerable children who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized. I believe that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, not the crass, commercial, secular spectacle it has become in many places, and that the greatest gift one can give is love, not presents. In my view, it is His presence, not the presents, that counts. I also believe that, if we ever expect to have international peace, we first must instill love and peace within the heart of each and every child.

    Blessings to all, Bishop Santa :-)}
    The Rt. Rev. Santa Claus, OAC

  10. [...] Claus entered the First Christian Church parking lot to get ready for their ride in last …Can Jesus and Santa Get Along?A gift from Santa: Santa Pete looks at Christmas, Christianity and his own …White Plains [...]

  11. EB says:

    Actually Rudolph is the anamorphic creation of Saint Rudolpholis of Greenland in the 14th century. He was a very kind hearted drunkard . One of the casualties of his constant state of inebriation was his personal hygiene. As a result he was usually not welcome and was shunned by those in the community. As he grew older he developed the bright red round nose that is common among heavy drinkers.

    The legend is, that supplies of whale oil used to fuel lamps and start fires to keep the homes warm was down to the last barrel. Because it was winter and the towns were in total darkness and a heavy snow storm was in progress, the sleighs that delivered the oil were unable to find the village. No one wanted to use the last of their oil to light the way. When someone asked (pinching his nose at the same time) “Rudolpholis with your nose so bright won’t you guide the sleighs this night?” With his body full of antifreeze he walked to the edge of town his nose acting like a beacon in the dark stormy night guiding sleigh after sleigh into the village. He was a Hero. The town, after giving him a much needed bath, lifted him up and carried him through the square.

    After that Rudolpholis reflected on his life of inebriation and swore off alcohol. He dedicated his life to his community and helped show others with his previous affliction, the way to a better life. His story was told by towns people many times over through the centuries as a cautionary tale with many parents warning their teenagers not to get involved with alcohol “lest their nose get so bright it will light the night”. But is also a tale of rebirth, of finding a new calling and helping others.

    Some time back a very distant relative found the story of Rudolpholis in a family bible. In order to tell the story of their great ancestor but still gloss over his earlier life the decision was made to make Rudolpholis a reindeer helping Santa. It still puts a little extra hop in my step to think about how many people Rudolpholis helped those many centuries ago.


  12. BSMeter says:

    …at #11 And there came on this earth, a new religion…

  13. EB says:

    @12 I actually considered stating that the supply sleighs were a mere 12 steps out of town and that it was Rudolpholis’s twelve step journey that is the basis for the AA’s twelve step program today. But figured no one would believe that! :)

  14. BSmeter says:

    …and someone believes a “light shining in the East” rather than “a red light at the edge of town”?
    OK, if I wanted to be real snarky I could talk about “a dark and storm night….a snot rang out!” but then, I don’t like puns….. hee, hee, hee…

  15. EB says:

    Actually as I wrote that line I flashed on Snoopy typing on top of his dog house

  16. Geraldine says:

    May I comment here that Saint Nicolas or in Dutch “Sinterklaas” is not celebrated instead of Christmas. It is a feast on its own! Sinterklaas is celebrated both in the Netherlands and in Belgium and France on the 6th of December!
    Children are taught that Saint Nicolas was a great and kind man who helped small children. On the night of 6 December he walks the roofs of the houses with his white horse and his black helper, called “Zwarte Piet” (Black Peter). This helper is always black because of the soot in all the chimneys he has to go in. Together they drop candy and sometimes toys through the chimney for the good children. In the old days children who had behaved badly received black cools (hence again Black Peter, because he carried around the bad with the coals, but now he always gives candy to all children = commercialized as well).
    Children who are good, behave well and they also want to give something in return, so the week before 6th December, all the children put their shoe in front of the chimney with a carrot, an apple, or a sugar lump for the horse, a glass of beer or something to eat for Saint Nicolas and also some cookies or a drink for his helper “Zwarte Piet”.
    Each day when the children get up, the givings to Saint Nicolas have disappeared and have been replaced by some candy, the typical shortcruist biscuits “Speculaas” in the shape of Saint-Nicolas with his mitre and a lot of tangerines.

    On the 25th of December we then celebrate Christmas. Of course our countries are smothered with the image of Santa Claus and his reindeers too and that’s why now, the children in Europe see Santa and Saint Nicolas as 2 different kind figures who bring toys.
    But the focus still lies on decorating the Christmas tree together (which is Pagan) and on putting a little shed with Maria, Joseph and baby Jesus in the crib (which is Christian) and it’s all about giving and being kind to each other and of course sharing a big meal with stuffed turkey, stuffed oven-apples with cranberries and croquettes. The typical dessert is a “tree stump” with vanilla cream and chocolate and sponge cake… (I think that’s also pagan, even though most European countries are mainly Catholic). The presents are under the Christmas tree and are opened with the whole family on the evening of Dec 24th or on the 25th, depending on when you come together with the family. Not only the children get presents: everyone gives presents to everyone. (Although in times of crisis, we pick out name cards in advance, so that we only have to buy a present for the person we picked, since it’s more about being together then giving presents).

    But thanks to America and most of all Coca-Cola, we now also have red Santa Clauses walking the streets around Christmas, so in order to be able to tell a story rather than fall for all the commerciality, we now tell the story of a kind man with a beard who lives on the North Pole with his reindeers and flies in the air on his sled to bring toys on the 25th, but we also still tell the story of the birth of Jesus and the three Kings who followed the star to find the child. So around Christmas, Santa Claus is more of a decorative figure, an extra, bringing some color on Christmas cards, and so on…. The focus would be more on the tree, the crib of Jesus, the STAR (on top of the tree or on top of the shed of Maria and Joseph), snowmen, holly, …)

    Conclusion: we don’t celebrate Saint Nicolas on the 25th but on the 6th. 25th is another catholic holiday, namely the birth of Jesus.

    Hope this clarifies somewhat and I hope I have inspired you a little. Because there are so many ways to teach about goodness to children even if some things have been over-commercialized.

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