tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post8280037508740834625..comments2023-12-30T00:30:21.906-08:00Comments on The Hippie Housewife: St. Nicholas or Santa Claus?Hippie Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718357472343295031noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-38216167521524860122010-12-11T17:45:45.132-08:002010-12-11T17:45:45.132-08:00that second last sentence really hit home with me....that second last sentence really hit home with me... oh how I could really use more courage in doing away with the whole santa business... i don't believe in it.. and yet i find myself getting sucked in to following along with this tradition because its something my family (and husband )has always done...Tracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15230899344049729540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-423118433941109882010-12-10T11:37:36.333-08:002010-12-10T11:37:36.333-08:00I stumbled upon your post when I googled "How...I stumbled upon your post when I googled "How to reconcile Santa and St. Nicholas". I don't like how everyone assumes all families have Santa in their traditions, though I grew up with gifts from Santa. After a while, I figured it out, but the thought of a man coming into our house and bringing gifts made it hard for me to sleep those Christmas Eves, even if I enjoyed the result. I don't want to cheapen the meaning of Christmas and emphasize any more of the commercialism that bombards us all. Perhaps next year we can celebrate St. Nick's day as many of my friends do with their children. <br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts, it's nice to hear I'm not the only one worried about all this :)<br /><br />Kristy in KentuckyKristy Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11481300607611938119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-70585808456615767822010-12-08T16:30:34.566-08:002010-12-08T16:30:34.566-08:00Angie, I completely agree about the consumerism. ...Angie, I completely agree about the consumerism. It's gotten so bad that I've had some serious reservations about Christmas as a whole this year.<br /><br />You can read more about Elf Magic <a href="http://www.elf-magic.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, but basically some miniature elves "arrive" one day in December, sent from Santa. Each morning the child wakes up to see what mischief the elf has gotten into the night before (maybe turning the milk green, or bringing a little gift, or pulling out the Christmas decorations). I think it would be a fun way to have some silly fun in December with much older children (those who are old enough to know that it's just Mom and Dad being silly again), but for younger children I don't feel comfortable with introducing yet another aspect of fantasy as something "real". I definitely encourage imagination and fantasy play in my children, but only as a play, not "look what those elves did last night!" And especially for us as a Christian family, I feel it confuses the central point of Christmas as a celebration of Christ's birth. Along with the idea of Santa, I don't feel comfortable assuming they will make the distinction between Santa and elves being a fun game we played, and the birth of Christ being a very real Truth in our lives.Hippie Housewifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718357472343295031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-9405197770457981842010-12-08T16:17:19.880-08:002010-12-08T16:17:19.880-08:00Thank you so much for this. My husband and I are ...Thank you so much for this. My husband and I are trying to decide what to do about the Santa issue, and we keep going back and forth. I hate how consumerist Christmas has become...to the point that now, sadly, I dread all of December. We have some time before we need to decide on this, but thank you for giving us more to discuss.<br /><br />This may be a stupid question, but what is Elf Magic?Angiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01221873203623253786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-41145585842530877242010-12-07T17:50:14.722-08:002010-12-07T17:50:14.722-08:00I don't like Santa neither, I don't like c...I don't like Santa neither, I don't like consumerism and I don't include it in our celebrations.<br />We just dinner together, I made (hand made) a gift for my son, and for our loved ones and we see what we can give to others.<br />Thanks for sharing.La Chilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05399113500946212730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-2803756047773882382010-12-07T09:13:11.483-08:002010-12-07T09:13:11.483-08:00Kate, I must admit I'm still being a coward wh...Kate, I must admit I'm still being a coward when it comes to sharing our choice with my parents! My in-laws know and understand, but I know it'll be quite the thing when I finally "come clean" to my parents. So far we've managed to avoid the issue every year. I'm right there with your conflict-fearing husband!<br /><br />Korey, once my kids have a firm grasp on the person of St. Nicholas, we'll absolutely go on to explain the character of Santa Claus. I have fond memories of the Island of Misfit Toys, for example, and would love to share that with my children at some point. But it will be entirely fictional and fun, the same way they know that when we watch VeggieTales, the talking tomato isn't real. I think forbidding any mention or appearance of the "jolly fat elf" would backfire in the end. There's certainly room for fun and for imagination, as Nicole mentioned in regards to doing Elf Magic with her teenagers (I could have <i>so much fun</i> with that when my kids are older, in the "oh Mom, what do you have those elves doing now??" sense).<br /><br />CML and Christina, I can't even imagine lying to my children that way. The way my son asks questions about every little thing, it literally would be either straight out lie, or acknowledge that it's all pretend right from the start. I know a lot of parents who include Santa in their celebrations get offended at the idea that they're lying to their kids, but I honestly don't understand how it's <i>not</i>.<br /><br />Samantha, right there with you on the Easter Bunny too! Although if he has anything going for him, it's that at least he's not a cheap representation of a saint known for his compassion and charity. Regardless, he's definitely not a part of our Easter celebrations.Hippie Housewifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718357472343295031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-17004423542301385492010-12-07T04:55:04.117-08:002010-12-07T04:55:04.117-08:00I grew up believing in Santa but I also didn't...I grew up believing in Santa but I also didn't have a strong Christian background. I was taught to believe in God and I was raised in a different faith. I was very crushed and angry at myself for believing something like Santa once I found out but it honestly never made me question God. <br /><br />I haven't decided what we'll do although after I learned the truth of Santa my Mom explained that it was based off a real man (St. Nicholas) and that seemed to make me happier. I think I could be inclined to give a present to my child in remembrance of St. Nicholas but that is how the tag would read.<br /><br /> Thankfully I have until next Christmas (or even really one more after that) before I have to worry about it too much. <br /><br />I like Santa (movies) and I think if we always are open with our kids and explain St. Nicholas and how people have changed it over into Santa Clause they might be able to enjoy 'Santa' without believing he's real. <br /><br />This is a great post. One for me to save for later for sure!Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13169767757479816137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-76726340520107052852010-12-07T04:13:56.639-08:002010-12-07T04:13:56.639-08:00Outstanding! Wonderfully said. With the holidays...Outstanding! Wonderfully said. With the holidays approaching yet again my husband (being the diplomatic, peace loving and somewhat conflict-fearing man that he is) has once again told our parents, "We haven't quite decided how we're going to handle the Santa Issue." I don't think anyone thinks we are going to ruin Christmas anymore (except maybe my Grandma), but just for clarity's sake I think I'll forward them all a link to this blog post. Thank you!Katehttp://katieintokate.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-10410964953398541682010-12-06T21:49:08.587-08:002010-12-06T21:49:08.587-08:00This sums up our feelings about Santa and I agree ...This sums up our feelings about Santa and I agree with you wholeheartedly, particularly regarding the lying factor. Our children will be bombarded with enough lies from the world. I think that as a parent, I have a responsibility to be a source of truth to my children. I feel that telling my kids that Santa is "real" would be to compromise that trust.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14610084235933374679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-12576823523300023832010-12-06T20:34:48.503-08:002010-12-06T20:34:48.503-08:00I like the way my best friend explains it. She say...I like the way my best friend explains it. She says, "We teach our children that Jesus is the giver of all gifts." Amen to that! There are very few people around here that don't do Santa. My brother thinks I'm horrible for robbing our kids of the Santa experience. But their eternal souls are much more important than a few years of lying to them...CMBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07319698236961774725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-69617541242741685662010-12-06T20:32:47.807-08:002010-12-06T20:32:47.807-08:00Nicole, I always appreciate hearing that, thank yo...Nicole, I always appreciate hearing that, thank you. It's a nice change from the usual "what?? You'll ruin Christmas for your poor child!"<br /><br />I'd definitely do Elf Magic with a house full of teenagers. That would be so fun!!Hippie Housewifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718357472343295031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-15060064666203553772010-12-06T19:40:30.714-08:002010-12-06T19:40:30.714-08:00I'm doing a version of the Elf Magic this year...I'm doing a version of the Elf Magic this year with the teenagers . . but if I had young children I wouldn't do that or Santa for the very reasons you mentioned. The teenagers know it's just the adults being silly and it's just an excuse to do something fun and holiday related everyday. <br /><br />I grew up talking about St. Nicholas and knowing Santa was not real. My Christmases were still pretty great :)Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12416478929643863722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051258436941012775.post-42650757894481961212010-12-06T17:43:34.054-08:002010-12-06T17:43:34.054-08:00I think this sums up perfectly my misgivings about...I think this sums up perfectly my misgivings about Santa (and the Easter bunny, for that matter). I've been on the fence for a long time--since before my son was born--about whether or not to include Santa in our celebrations. Your post has definitely given me a push in the "not" direction. Thanks for the wonderful insight!Samanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05612734134136271624noreply@blogger.com