Does Santa ‘Distract’ From the True Meaning Of Christmas? Movieguide® Explains
By Movieguide® Contributor
As we continue through the Christmas season, many Christians grapple with the idea of Santa Claus and whether or not to incorporate him into their holiday celebrations.
“You want kids to focus on the Gospel,” Robby Baehr, Movieguide®’s CEO, explained during an episode of the “Familyguide Podcast.” “In a way, it feels like some of these traditions are cute, and then in a way, you feel like these traditions are almost red herrings that kind of pull you away.”
He said that he loves his son’s love of “the magic of it,” as well as the “creativity” that comes from imagining Santa and his story, but emphasized that “the mission is Jesus Christ.”
Jeremy Carroll, Movieguide®’s creative director, agreed, saying, “These things can distract from the true mission and the true story of Jesus coming into the world, and I do feel like that’s kind of reflected in secular culture.”
“I think it’s good to be like, ‘Oh, that’s cute, that’s fun,’” Carroll continued. “We believe in St. Nicholas, who was real, and we’re celebrating Jesus.”
This conversation about Santa Claus’ place in religious celebrations of Christmas is one that many Christians have this time of year.
“Does the promotion of Santa lead to an exaltation of Christ?” AnsweresinGenesis.org asks. “Since Jesus and Santa Claus bring competing messages, I would suggest the answer is no. As Jesus Christ continues to be marginalized by society, our goal should be to magnify Him in our homes that our children would be impressed with His kindness to us shown on the Cross. This is the message the original St. Nicholas would have communicated.”
An article on Learn Religions pointed out that “there’s little to nothing about Santa Claus that is either uniquely Christian or broadly religious.”
“There are certainly a few religious elements to Santa, but he can’t be treated as a specifically religious figure,” the post continued. “Almost everything that people today understand as part of the Santa Claus myth was invested in this figure fairly recently and, it appears, for entirely secular reasons.”
Movieguide® previously reported on author Wayne Van Der Wal’s book about St. Nicholas’ life:
A big red coat, round belly, bushy white beard, sparkling eyes, and some sort of mystical knowledge of what every little girl and boy wants for Christmas — that’s pop culture’s Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas. But what’s the truth about this legendary man?
Psychologist and author Wayne A. Van Der Wal wants to shed some light on the history of the real-life Saint Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, around the globe.
Van Der Wal said that he was frustrated with how materialistic the celebration of Christmas had become, especially when he faced financial hardship after a divorce.
“I had been frustrated with the materialism of Christmas for a long time,” Van Der Wal said in a recent press release. “I desired to make Christmas more meaningful for my children and me, so when I started researching more about Santa Claus/St. Nick connection, [I discovered] wow, not only was he a real person, but he had a fascinating life story.”
Van Der Wal recently announced the launch of his new book, The Gospel of Santa Claus: Inspired by the True Story of Saint Nicholas.
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