A Santa Free Christmas. That is what I read. It sounded like a Christian utopia. Until I read that the German Catholics want to exchange a Santa Christmas for Saint Nicolas Christmas. Santa can go (and I do not mind St Nicolas floating around as a Godly example of charity) but I will take a Christ Christmas please. For without Him, we might as well just let Santa rule.
German Catholics want Santa-free Christmas
BERLIN (Reuters Life!) – A group of German Catholics wants to do away with Santa Claus because of the fictional figure’s commercial hype and replace him with St Nicolas and the selfless giving they say he represents.
Even before shops fill with Santa-themed goodies, the Bonifatiuswerk of German Catholics — a Catholic aid organization — has begun calling for “Santa Claus-free zones.”
The organization sees Santa as “an invention of the advertising industry designed to boost sales” and as “a representative of consumer society” who has little to do with the historical figure of St Nicolas.
“Unlike Santa Claus, Nicolas wants to give children inner riches and not just encourage them to strive for material wealth,” German TV presenter Nina Ruege was quoted saying.
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So do you do it without Santa? We have Santa, but he is pretty downplayed, and one of my kids already figured it all out. But, she wasn’t devastated, I think, because we never made a big deal of it. We all get three gifts, (if that is enough for Jesus, it’s enough for us). One from mom and dad, one from our siblings and one from Santa. It has made Christmas much more thoughtful since we instituted that policy.