“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” Those are the famous words of Frances Church, the editor of the New York Sun, writing in 1897 in response to an anxious letter from an 8-year-old girl who had reached that age when we all begin to lose a bit of the wonder. Santa Claus is as much a part of Christmas as evergreens, lights, Jingle Bells, and presents. As the editor wrote, “Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.”
Santa has his roots in a fourth century Greek bishop named Nicholas, who, according to legend, secretly passed out gifts to the poor and needy, and, as one wonderful story goes, tossed a small bag of coins down the chimney of a home of a family who had no food. Over time stories became more myth and legend than fact, and by the early years of the 19th century Saint Nicholas had morphed into the person we know as Santa Claus.
It was the Clement Clark Moore poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” written in 1823, that gave us the Santa we all love: a jolly fellow with reindeer pulling his sleigh across the night sky as he brings presents to all the girls and boys. But Santa isn’t just for boys and girls; even we adults are eager to sing, “Jolly ol’ St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way! Don’t you tell a single soul what I’m going to say. Christmas Eve is coming soon; now, you dear old man, whisper what you’ll bring to me; tell me if you can.”
Santa is a wonderful part of Christmas, reminding us of the joy of giving, the joy of sharing, the joy of wonder and enchantment. It is Jesus Christ’s birth that we celebrate, of course, but the very idea of Santa blends with our faith: charity, giving, peace, reconciliation, and more than a little mystery, appealing to the child in all of us. And, of course, the model for Santa Claus was a man of the church who was known for his goodness, his kindness, and his generous heart.
Children of all ages: treasure Santa Claus! Leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for him. Marvel at his ability to visit homes all over the world in the span of one night. But remember that Saint Nicholas kept Christmas in his heart all year round as he lived his faith. “For to us is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Or, as one of John Rutter’s beautiful carols puts it:
Or, as one of John Rutter’s beautiful carols puts it:
Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger
Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay
Godhead incarnate and hope of salvation
A child with his mother, that first Christmas Day.
Blessings for a joyous Christmas!
Pastor Skip
