If fact 20 children in my sons class last week heard of Jesus for the very first time!! The teacher had Jie stand up and tell them the Christmas Story. He loved it and was so excited that he could share his best friend with his whole class. It was the first thing I heard come out of his mouth as he hopped off the bus on Friday.
But while he was allowed to share about Jesus' birth, he was not allowed to share about the reason He came, he wasn't allowed to share that Jesus died so that he, his friends and family could live and he was not allowed to share that he does not celebrate Santa. I don't understand, being of Christian faith, why he cannot freely speak about his beliefs. Everyone in his class believe in Santa, share Santa, love Santa and celebrate him once a year. My son believes in Jesus, should be able to share Jesus and loves Jesus all year round. Jie is learning to respect the beliefs of his friends, but is not getting the same courtesy when is comes to them. Do the parents only think about themselves these days?
So while we don't "do" Santa, Jie still participates in Christmas activities at school which consist of flying Reindeer, and elves, and the north pole and the absurdity of one man delivering billions of presents to sleeping kids in one night. If I had have chosen not to include him, he would likely miss out on the last three weeks of his school curriculum. While I tell Jiedyn of Santa and the north-pole being a "story", I can't help but think of all these children who grow up believing lies from their own parents. Sure, my parents did it but knowing the real reason for Christmas is much more real, special and magical than an old guy in a red suit! Why do you do it, if you do it at all?
3 replied:
hi melissa how are you? I was out and about but never forgot yabout you guys. How is your preparations for the holidays coming?
It is quite unfortunate that Jie could not tell his friends the most important aspect of Christ's birth: to save sinful humanity. Without such information, the celebration of Christ's birth loses its true meaning and value, and ends up being just like any other secular celebration.
It is also unfortunate that God has been pushed out of schools, because the Bible says that 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding' (Proverbs 9:10), and that teaching children about God helps them to grow into respectable adults (Proverbs 22:6).
However, the trend is not surprising because Christmas had pagan foundations (see http://www.hope-of-israel.org/cmas1.htm).
I do both. The true meaning of Christmas is shared and celebrated but so is the "magic" of Santa. My daughter is 9 and still believes in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, etc. Santa actually comes to my mother-in-laws and doles out the presents and has since before I met my husband. He also brings a few of the most coveted presents to our house - one year he snuck a goat in the barn. It is the spirit and heart of things we believe that matter. I make Santa happen for my children out of my love for them - there is magic in life and it doesn't hurt to play along with the joy and the love of that magic. Yes, it will be a great disappointment the day she figures out who the "real" Santa really is - I will explain it that Uncle loves our family so much that he wants to gift us with those special moments and memories and give us that magic as long as he can. And that those times I made those magical things happen like the Tooth Fairy and the goat, it was my love for her and wanting to make her childhood extra special that I did those things. It doesn't really matter "who" in that moment - and it doesn't diminish those special times and memories. There are a lot of disappointments in life so why not make it as magical as we can. And celebrating "magic" doesn't diminish our faiths or values any more than watching cartoons.
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