tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post6031318857905413776..comments2024-02-20T08:10:20.272-05:00Comments on Ordinary Lovely: Why We Don't Tell our Kids That St. Nicholas is Santa Claus (or vice versa)Theresahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-7449188418278864232015-12-08T02:30:18.184-05:002015-12-08T02:30:18.184-05:00Aww, I like/disagree with your post too. :D
I thi...Aww, I like/disagree with your post too. :D<br /><br />I think we should incorporate heretic-punching into St. Nicholas Day celebrations.Kendra Tierneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04212829372556908004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-17630643107647467162015-12-07T22:21:29.169-05:002015-12-07T22:21:29.169-05:00Thanks, Janelle! When someone asks my kids what t...Thanks, Janelle! When someone asks my kids what they want for Christmas, I usually try to say something like "we don't know what we'll be getting from our friends and family, but we sure are having fun planning surprises for them." What I say is the truth, but it always sounds SO CORNY coming out my mouth! But what else can you do?? <br />Thanks for your comments! Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-66387086695191540732015-12-07T22:19:26.430-05:002015-12-07T22:19:26.430-05:00I need to get my kids more on board with the secre...I need to get my kids more on board with the secret giving for the joy of it and w/o expecting anything (including recognition!) in return. We could use a boost in this area! <br /><br />And yes, I did hear that Bass Pro won the lottery for getting the real guy this year!! ;) Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-31302301801825752012015-12-07T22:16:44.532-05:002015-12-07T22:16:44.532-05:00Thanks for your thoughts, Mary!
Agreed. I hope ...Thanks for your thoughts, Mary! <br />Agreed. I hope folks like us still have a merry time in Heaven and don't get a lot of sour looks from the saints for assuming what they do and don't do!! :) Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-8317129121921381462015-12-07T22:14:06.633-05:002015-12-07T22:14:06.633-05:00LOVE your kids response! I think mine mostly look...LOVE your kids response! I think mine mostly look like deer in the headlights when someone asks them about Santa! With the way the world is now it seems like it might be more and more un-politically correct to chat about Santa and Jesus in the grocery store. Awesome that your girls are willing to do it! <br />Thanks for your comments, Liz!Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-26714462677409208352015-12-07T22:11:06.768-05:002015-12-07T22:11:06.768-05:00Isn't it kind of awesome and funny and awkward...Isn't it kind of awesome and funny and awkward at the same time when our kids have a different take on things (not the cultural norm) and they get so confused when people ask them about it. For some reason, it's always the grocery store where these things happen! Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-77974531380757829152015-12-07T22:09:11.999-05:002015-12-07T22:09:11.999-05:00Thanks, Christine! I'm so sorry that it's...Thanks, Christine! I'm so sorry that it's a tricky subject for you and your son this year :( I know when I was a kid I was always SO excited about getting gifts, but knew I couldn't let it show too much b/c that wasn't the important part, but that is so hard for kids! <br />I hope that you find a way to celebrate Christmas without upsetting him. <3 Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-24518595904601418692015-12-07T22:05:55.247-05:002015-12-07T22:05:55.247-05:00Thanks so much for your perspective, Molly!
I ag...Thanks so much for your perspective, Molly! <br />I agree about the elf, and I feel like the game would totally burn me out!! Theresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09440812661317797011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-91387038523867524582015-12-07T21:03:27.386-05:002015-12-07T21:03:27.386-05:00I really enjoyed this post!! This is basically how...I really enjoyed this post!! This is basically how much think about the whole thing too. I wince every time someone asks our kids, " so what do you want Santa to bring this Christmas?!" Like nails on a chalkboard. And our kids kind of just stare at them in a confused way.... Awkward. So, I agree- why complicate an already wonderfully festive celebration? However, on the other hand, I think my *strong* opinions are for my family - I am pretty neutral about the whole thing when I hear about how others do things. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625936710612289251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-59239295136918345392015-12-07T18:10:39.120-05:002015-12-07T18:10:39.120-05:00Well-said, Theresa. :) I try hard to focus on the ...Well-said, Theresa. :) I try hard to focus on the real St. Nicholas, building up the tradition of giving in secret and being kind to others after his example, meanwhile portraying Santa as a fictional character. I have a lot of work to do on this, since I heard from my 6yr old in the last few days that he thinks Santa is real because he's at Bass Pro... So, we have work to do still!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03472393099247537659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-32287995652667122162015-12-07T16:38:51.579-05:002015-12-07T16:38:51.579-05:00I appreciate you bringing up the point that Nichol...I appreciate you bringing up the point that Nicholas IS actually a real person and we tread on sacred ground to be doing things in someone's name like that. I think often around St. Patrick's day about the awful things and behaviors and sin promoted in the name of this saint. (I know, total killjoy, right?!?) If I hopefully make it to heaven I think it would be weird if people started doing things in my name that were totally not things I'm cool with. I don't think most innocent Christmas/Santa traditions fall into that camp, necessarily, (except maybe Santa Baby *shudder*) but I think you bring up good points that it is definitely worth thinking about and perhaps we *don't* need to 'spice' up his life with our own inventions. Mary @ Better Than Edenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05409924891343767874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-15131194197061778802015-12-07T15:44:47.096-05:002015-12-07T15:44:47.096-05:00Hi! Don't feel alone in your 5-yrs old santa ...Hi! Don't feel alone in your 5-yrs old santa angst. Did your oldest go to Kindergarten this year? We were fine in our Christmas bubble, santa was a non-issue, until my oldest went to K, which was so over-the-top hype for santa. (of course without any Christianity to balance it out). It was really tough to focus her on the nativity, even considering that our family doesn't "do santa". She was doing santa crafts and singing santa songs every day in school, from Thanksgiving to Christmas! So I feel for you for sure! She got through it, and while she may have felt like she missed out on a little "magic", she has said looking back she was glad she could always trust us for the truth. And let's be real - waking up to presents wrapped under the tree will always be "magic", no matter who puts them there. :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05831174727305011512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-23539521273252492382015-12-07T15:30:08.873-05:002015-12-07T15:30:08.873-05:00Ahhhh the grocery store comments!! So tough!! On...Ahhhh the grocery store comments!! So tough!! One lady once argued with my children about whether Santa is real! Scolded them for their disbelief! Really lady? Do you see my evangelical self asking random kids if they believe in Jesus and then scolding them for their atheism? But kiddos if you don't believe in Jesus, there'll be no frankincense under your tree Christmas morning!! <br /><br />By and large, if someone asks them if they're ready for Santa, and actually gives them time to give an answer and explain themselves, and they say, "No, we're ready to celebrate Jesus' birthday though!" the response is great. Especially from elderly ladies. :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05831174727305011512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-31224190446110494912015-12-07T15:23:20.242-05:002015-12-07T15:23:20.242-05:00This was excellent!! I feel like "Whew!"...This was excellent!! I feel like "Whew!" because I don't know much about St. Nicholas (other than the veggie tales special) or saints in general, being protestant. However, I've always told them the commercial current idea of Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas, but that they are very different in several ways (the ones in which you pointed out). We simply cannot get behind willful deception of any kind, especially on Christmas.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05831174727305011512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-48779420270394892022015-12-07T15:10:39.062-05:002015-12-07T15:10:39.062-05:00When it comes up, I have explained that "Sant...When it comes up, I have explained that "Santa Claus" is the translation for St. Nicholas. But we don't talk about him coming on Christmas. We do have him "come to our house" on his feast day, but the gifts on Christmas come from us and grandparents. I like your response to strangers ... I haven't come up with a way to respond charitably yet. ;) Well-meaning strangers end up confusing our kids whenever we go to the grocery store, heh! <br /><br />Our oldest is still just 3, so I feel like we have another year or two to tweak our approach. :) Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17699055172049185864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-32297214766431305152015-12-07T14:33:24.803-05:002015-12-07T14:33:24.803-05:00Great post - I just wish you had written it a few ...Great post - I just wish you had written it a few years ago, when I was discerning how to handle all this stuff with my kids! <br /><br />I pretty much share all your sentiments about not equating St. Nick with Santa, because I don't want to detract from who St. Nicholas is, and why we venerate him. We do put our shoes out on the eve of his feast day - I've never actually said that he is the one leaving treats for the kids, but have said "if you leave your shoes out, you might get a special treat", and of course they assume it's from St. Nicholas himself, and not us. I like that you tell them the whole truth, and explain that it's done as a way to honor the Saint's charitable spirit.<br /><br />And I was afraid to tell my kids outright that Santa wasn't real, and deal with all those awkward moments with family members or strangers in the grocery store. I settled on a "neither confirm nor deny" approach....I knew the kids would notice all the references to Santa around them, and I resolved to answer most questions about him with something cryptic like, "Oh, I don't know...what do you think?" It seemed to be going alright, and Santa was sort of just a vague figure in the background, with Christ's birth being the first thing they'd answer when asked what happened on Christmas. But this year, my oldest is five. I've noticed that Santa has become so much larger in his imagination, and he's definitely more focused on the gift-receiving aspect of Christmas. He even told me the other day that he "hates the Nativity story", which just made me so sad and upset. <br /><br />If I could go back in time, I'm still not sure how I would handle it. But I feel like we went wrong somewhere, and I'm just not certain how to fix it all without crushing him (my oldest son) or taking away the magic :-/Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662784804825998751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377582441405318696.post-63253688281067429792015-12-07T14:29:47.874-05:002015-12-07T14:29:47.874-05:00I think for us it's not that I'm actively ...I think for us it's not that I'm actively telling my son Santa is St. Nicholas. But when he gets older (and for me I see no reason my children should believe in Santa past about 7 years old honestly - I never realized people "believed in Santa Claus" into their tweens or that families gave all gifts under his name until I was an adult!!! I figure by the time my kid is receiving communion he's old enough to be told "the truth" about make believe) we can tell him that yep, "Santa Claus" - the bringer of stocking treats on Christmas is pretend, but that it's a pretend inspired by a real person who already honor as part of our Liturgical Year. And at that point we can either continue the tradition of secretly filling each others stockings and shoes, but he'll then be a part of it some how, or it will be time to move into a new family tradition.<br /><br />I think this works for us because "Santa" is a small part of our traditions - we don't over emphasize him, Santa doesn't bring anything you want (just this year my son said he would ask Santa for a toy we can't give him and we told him as much, that it's not going to happen and how we'll be happy with what we get on Christmas), "he" fills a stocking with a few goodies, gifts are given by family members (the real gifts come from us and my kid knows this - the gifts get set out before Christmas so they don't magically appear) and the gifts are given out of love for Jesus (our Santa moves our Nativity in front of the stockings so there's a physical reminder). So for us Santa is a game, a game I play with my kids until it's time for them to understand all the rules of the game and become part of it as a whole.<br /><br />I think I understand where you're coming from - it's why I refuse to do "elf on a shelf". It makes not liturgical or imaginative sense to me. To me the Elf is completely consumerist and has no redeeming features the way I think Santa is to you - so potato/potahto. We have similar lines, they just encompass different traditionsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17904858990740505588noreply@blogger.com