Left to right: A 13th-century icon of St. Nicholas from Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai; 1881 illustration “Merry Old Santa” by Thomas Nast; “Adoration of the Shepherds” (1622) by Gerard van Honthorst
EMBRACING FAMILY
By Sarah and David Herrmann
Many parents ask us questions, and we share faith-based parenting advice, based on Love and Logic and the Preventive System of St. John Bosco (Reason, Religion, Loving Kindness). We’d like to share some of these with you.
Note: This article combines historical truths and Catholic teaching. It was written with discretion, aware that this article may be viewed by readers of all ages!
Question: How do I explain St. Nicholas, Christmas and Santa Claus to my kids?
Answer: Respond simply, by focusing on three things: history, mystery and the communion of saints.
History
St. Nicholas was said to have lived in the third to fourth century in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. In Dutch, his name is Sint Nikolaas (abbreviated as Sinter Klaas), now commonly known as Santa Claus.
St. Nicholas was known for his piety and benevolence. Many legends exist about him, including that he gave away his inheritance and traveled around the countryside helping children in need, often secretly. He was a Catholic bishop and was imprisoned for believing in Jesus and preaching the faith. After his death, he became increasingly popular because of his kindness and the miracles attributed to him. Hence, he became the patron saint of many, including children, and was considered the magical gift-bringer.
In the 1800s, Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) became popularized and depicted more as our common image of Santa Claus due, in part, to literary works that came out in that timeframe. In 1809, Washington Irving’s book, “Knickerbocker’s History of New York,” depicted St. Nicholas, the patron saint of New York, as flying over rooftops in a wagon, delivering presents to children who had been good and switches to children who had misbehaved. Later, in 1821, an anonymous poem, “Old Santeclaus with Much Delight,” and then “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“Twas the Night Before Christmas”) by Clement Clarke Moore portrayed St. Nicholas more in the style of our modern Santa Claus.
Mystery
How did St. Nicholas deliver gifts to children without being noticed? This remains a mystery, but we believe that he was creatively sharing God’s love with those in need.
How was Jesus, the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary? It’s a mystery, but we know God loved us so much that He gave us his only Son who founded our church and continues to lead the church today.
Communion of Saints
St. Nicholas, too, continues to be a part of the Mystical Body, the church.
While the feast day of St. Nicholas is on Dec. 6, countries worldwide continue to share in his giving spirit at Christmas. St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas, Santa Claus) shared the love of God with others through gift-giving. As members of the church, we continue this tradition with gift-giving on the feasts of St. Nicholas, Christmas and Epiphany when the magi brought gifts to the infant Jesus.
Pause to Reflect
The original purpose of St. Nicholas’ gift-giving was to help people in need, especially children.
How will we help those who are struggling, especially during Advent and Christmas?
How can our gift-giving be a reflection of the kindness of God and not an obsession with commercialism and materialism?
Is our focus on gift-giving surpassing our focus on prayer, Christ’s presence in our life, and our volunteering to help those in need?
So, what do I say when people ask me if I believe?
Yes, I believe! I believe in St. Nicholas (history), I believe in the birth of Jesus (mystery), and I believe that God shares his love with the world through the spirit of kindness and giving demonstrated by so many during the Advent and Christmas season (communion of saints).
I believe that God wants us to share his love and kindness with all, especially those in need … just like St. Nicholas … just like Jesus … and yes, just like Santa Claus!
Feedback
Here is some feedback from a Hawaii Catholic Herald reader in response to the Q&A from our last column, “Morning Insanity:”
“I am so glad that I practiced the plan on the weekend. This way we could have ‘trial runs’ without actual consequences, just ‘pretend ones.’ It gave us a chance to try it out and laugh, too. It made it much easier for us to implement the plan the next week. We left the house on time, the kids were happy, and they had what they needed for school! This is nothing short of a miracle!”
Questions?
Please email Sarah and David at Success@EmbraceFamilyLearning.com. We would be honored to lift you up in prayer and respond as well.
