This is probably going to really offend some folks, but I have a confession to make. I’m not a fan of Santa Claus. 

I know. I know. Please don’t get me wrong; I like the true story of Saint Nicholas. But the whole jolly ole’ man in a red suit, North Pole toy factory, elf thing, I just don’t care for it much. And it’s not because I didn’t grow up with Santa. My parents did Santa. It was a serious tradition in our house. They even jingled bells on Christmas Eve to convince my brother and me it was time for bed because Santa was landing on the roof!  

I remember believing in the magical ideas and feeling very excited about Santa as a small child, so much so that I didn’t understand the true, miraculous Christmas story. I sang “Away in a Manger” with my Kindergarten class at school, and I had no idea who or what I was singing about. Sad, isn’t it?

But that is just why I don’t like Santa. The Santa tradition can completely distract us from the true meaning of Christmas — Jesus’s miraculous birth. Plus, Santa himself takes on some creepy characteristics, sneaking into homes, watching to see whether you’re naughty or nice, judging you on your behavior, and encouraging greediness. (My kids don’t need any help with that!)

This piece on Santa Claus, written by Noel Piper, articulates my thoughts almost exactly, plus some aspects of Santa I’d never before considered.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2141_thinking_about_santa/

What do you think? Are you a die-hard Santa fan? Or do you think he’s a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas?