As we enter the Christmas season, I would like to share some
of my thoughts about Christmas and what it means to my family and me. Sometime
ago I was talking to one of my grandsons who did not believe in Santa Clause. I
told him I believed he was real and then put together a little booklet about
some of the stories around the world about Santa Clause. I would like to share some of those thoughts
with you.
Santa Claus has many different names such
as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and as Sinterklaas. Here in America we know him as Santa
Claus. He lives at the North Pole with his elves and reindeer. Santa has a
naughty and nice list and he takes toys to the good boys and girls in his
sleigh that is pulled by eight magic reindeer. Santa is able to enter into the
homes by going down the chimney. He loves eating the cookies and milk that the
children leave out for him.
We are now living in the 21st Century. Some
people believe the real Santa lived Seventeen hundred years ago in the 4th
Century. His name was Saint Nicholas and he was a Greek Catholic Bishop of
Myra. He is also the primary inspiration for the Dutch version of Santa called
Sinterklass.
In the Catholic Church, St. Nicholas is the patron saint for children, sailors, and is the friend and protector of all in trouble and in
need. One story of St. Nicholas tells of how he saved three children who had
become lost and were captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and asks
God to restore the children’s life and the three children were given back to
their families. December 6th is St. Nicholas Day in many places in Europe and is a day of feasting and giving gifts.
Father Christmas was said to live in the mountains of Finland.
He did not give gifts to children, but was known for his good cheer. He did not
wear a red robe, but a green one.
Today’s Santa is a
combination of St. Nicholas and Father Christmas. In the early 1800’s St.
Nicholas’ name was changed to Sante Claus in some publications. Then in 1823
Washington Irving published “A Visit from St. Nicholas” now better known as
“The Night Before Christmas”.
In 1897 a little girl wrote to the local paper and asked if
Santa was real. She wrote:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon
Well the Sun Times wrote back to Virginia and said:
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as
certainly as love
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in
fairies. . . Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no
sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those
that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the
lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there.”
The Real Santa Claus
If you asked me if I believe in Santa Claus, I would answer
absolutely. The “real” Santa gave us the best gift ever – His Son.
The real reason we celebrate Christmas is not because of
Santa, or St. Nicholas or whatever you call him; it is to remember the birth of
the baby Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, John 3:16 it says: “God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son”. So Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us. Do
you remember the story of Jesus’s birth?
The Angle of the Lord came to Mary and told her that she
would have a son and she should call his name Jesus and he would be to the Son
of God.
Later we are told that Joseph and Mary had to travel from
Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. While they were in Bethlehem, Mary
gave birth to Jesus
In Luke Chapters 1 & 2 we read about the Shepherds:
“And the angel said
unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them
into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made
known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and
the babe lying in a manger.”
Joan M. Olenycz tells us in the
December 2010 Ensign:
“Heavenly Father gave this gift to
all of us, young or old, rich or poor. We did not have to search the shops for
it. It did not cost a single penny. The most treasured gift of all was wrapped
in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. It was sent to us with love from our
Heavenly Father."
Our Heavenly Father is real and so
is his Son Jesus Christ. May we always remember this precious gift. My hope
this Christmas season is that we will remember that the reason we celebrate
Christmas because we have a loving Heavenly Father that gave us the greatest
gift of all, the birth of his Son Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to all.
Your comments and questions are
welcome
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