Well, I understand it until someone gives me a nut case reason like Santa is the devil. Then, you lose me.
I know of only a handful of kids who questioned if God were real after discovering Santa was a complete hoax. I wasn't one of those kids. Granted my grasp of God wasn't that great as a kid, but God also wasn't leaving me money for teeth, showing up with an Easter basket, or delivering that Barbie dream house my 6 year old self wanted so badly one Christmas. I guess in part, since God didn't do any funny business, I didn't question him.
No one ever told me to pray to Santa for toys. So in that sense the two were separated I may or may not have asked God to convince Santa that I needed that Barbie Dream House that year. Don't judge.
As a family we will do Santa. I loved the magic it brought over the season as a kid, I swear on my life my parents wore bells one year. I distinctly remember hearing jingle bells in the living room. The excitement and silliness is just so much fun for me to relive as a teacher with other people's kids that I can't miss the chance to do Elf on the Shelf with our own one day.
Is that to say we are taking God out of our Christmas, no. The toys magic is Santa. The fact that you are alive is God. More emphasis on God.
I mean dang, my Mom still makes me a stocking every year because she knows I love it so much. The woman seriously makes the best stockings. I should make her do a post about that.
Not long ago on Pinterest I found a letter that two parents had written to their child explaining Santa and God. I really like the idea, while some kids are okay with Santa not being real and God really being real, others may need explaining. This is a really good way to bridge the gap and leave nothing left unsaid. LeAnn from A Small Snippet makes a lot of good points in teaching children about the meaning of Christmas if you are incorporating Santa into it. I will surely be using this one day:)
Click the picture and it will take you to Pinterest, then to the website.
