Santa Claus: NO to lies and idolatry. We must not lie to children.
Kaliméra, little brother of JESUS! Labdien, little sister of JESUS! “May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of GOD and of JESUS our LORD!” (2 Peter 1:2) Casting out demons can bring a certain peace. But inner peace comes only through knowledge of the LORD (the Scriptures and communion).
The Origin of Santa Claus
NO to lies and idolatry. We must not lie to children.
❖“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46, NKJV)
❖ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. (Deutéronomy 18:10-12, NKJV)
❖ Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all. (Habakkuk 2:19, NKJV)
The purpose of this article is not to answer the question of whether or not Christians can celebrate Christmas. I will soon publish an article specifically addressing that question. In the meantime, the article Birthday Celebrations” may offer some insights. This article is addressed to parents who lie to their children about the existence of Santa Claus and encourage them to offer prayers and songs to him.
The Origin of Santa Claus
In the 3rd century, in the city of Myra in Turkey, a Catholic bishop named Nicholas of Myra inherited a fortune from his parents. He decided to use his money to help the poor, notably by anonymously distributing food and gifts on winter nights. After some time, people realized it was him.
After his death on December 6, 343, the Catholic Church designated him the patron saint of children and chose December 6 to celebrate him as Saint Nicholas. With the encouragement of the Catholic Church, parents told their children that they would receive gifts from Saint Nicholas if they behaved well or got good grades in school. The Catholic Church even went so far as to encourage children to write and send prayers to Saint Nicholas. Children were told that Saint Nicholas traveled on a donkey and entered through chimneys to leave gifts. At that time, Saint Nicholas was depicted wearing a bishop’s robe. Over the centuries, the legend spread throughout Europe. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas is pronounced “Sinterklaas.” When Dutch immigrants arrived in the United States, the English settlers in New York translated “Sinterklaas” as “Santa Claus.”
In 1821, an American author, Clement Clark Moore, published a Christmas story titled “The Night Before Christmas,” in which Santa Claus appears on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. In 1823, the same author published a poem titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas," in which elves, riding in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, deliver gifts to children through the chimney. It is said that he was inspired by Julenisse, a Nordic elf who brings gifts during the winter festival known as Midtvintersblot (the winter solstice).
Starting in 1850, in the New York newspaper Harper’s Illustrated Weekly, illustrator Thomas Nast depicted Santa Claus as Father Christmas: a plump old man with a white beard, wearing a red jacket and pants with a belt and black leather boots. In 1885, in the same magazine, Santa Claus’s home was established as the North Pole. In fact, as early as 1860, cartoonists had been depicting him as coming from the North Pole.
Gradually, the Catholic feast of Saint Nicholas (December 6) became associated with the celebrations on December 25. The figure of Father Christmas became more famous than Saint Nicholas himself, particularly during the end-of-year holidays. At that time, he was depicted wearing clothes that were sometimes green, yellow, or blue. The Coca-Cola Company decided to depict him dressed in the brand’s colors and to give him a jolly image. As the marketing and commercial success proved overwhelming, the company replicated this strategy internationally (through advertisements). Since then, Santa Claus has been famous all over the world. Coca-Cola did not invent Santa Claus but made him famous.
NO to lies and idolatry. We must not lie to children.
Whether we celebrate Christmas or not, there is no excuse for idolatry. GOD hates idolatry. Either you read the Bible, or you don’t. Either you are for CHRIST, or you are against CHRIST. Celebrating CHRIST during Christmas is no excuse for lying to children and encouraging them to practice idolatry. Tradition is no excuse.
I say NO, both to Santa Claus and to Catholic celebrations dedicated to the dead, for the same reasons that I say NO: the dead do not watch over the living, and we must not lie to children! GOD is eternally alive and present. He needs neither a substitute nor an intermediary. Instead of lying to children, let’s help them develop a personal relationship with GOD. Let’s explain the Scriptures to them. Let’s help them understand the Scriptures. My parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts never tried to make me believe in Santa Claus. I turned out just fine.
Santa Claus is of diabolical inspiration. Only the devil can inspire and encourage people to idolatry, the worship of the dead, necromancy, and so on. Only the devil and his associates rejoice in seeing people—especially the children of Christians—worship anyone other than GOD.
I will never understand Christian parents who tell their children that gifts are brought by Santa Claus. Why are they unable to tell their children that it is they—and not Santa Claus—who bring them? Is it so difficult to give thanks and glory to GOD? I will never understand parents who encourage their children to sing songs about Santa Claus or the Christmas tree. I will never understand parents who encourage their children to send prayers and letters to Santa Claus. Those who do so normalize lies and idolatry. GOD provides them with the means to meet their children’s needs. In return, instead of glorifying GOD and helping their children develop a relationship with Him, they choose to glorify the devil and tell their children that it is Santa Claus who provides for their needs. I will never understand that.
I’d like to say to a parent: “Just because others do whatever they want doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Just because some people decorate their homes with elves and Santa Clauses doesn’t mean you have to do the same. There are certain items that need to be removed from your home. This is about your child—a child whom GOD loves so much that He gave His life for her. A child whom He has asked you to raise and teach in the truth. A child whom the devil hates. What if your son’s destiny is to be an Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Daniel, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Peter, Paul, or Luke? What if your daughter’s destiny is to be the future Sarah, Zipporah, Deborah, Mary, Euodia, or Junia of a nation? Every time you encourage your child to pray to Santa Claus, you’re giving the devil access to their life. "
** Kaliméra = Good morning in greek
** Labdien = Good morning in latvian
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