Santa and Christianity Response Essay
Christians treat Christmas as a Christian holiday, and it certainly started out that way, but we can tell a lot about the real nature of holidays by how they are represented in pop culture. The most common, popular, and recognized symbol for Christmas today isn't an infant Jesus or even a manger scene , but Santa Claus. It's Santa who graces all the ads and decorations, not Jesus. Santa Claus is not, however, a religious figure or symbol. He does represent some Christian morals, such as the idea of giving. The problem with the idea or concept of Santa from a Christian perspective, is that the concept distracts from the real purpose and meaning of Christmas. Santa, in fact, is so adored in American culture, that “He” is idolized, and painted as capturing the Christmas Spirit.
The Concept of an immortal man named Santa Claus, evolved indirectly from folk lore. He is known as a man that gives all of himself to make people happy. As the well known story goes he is chosen to give of his time, and his resources to make gifts for the many children of the world. His attributes, in a good way, encourage the average person to care for others. His mythical existence during the Christmas season encourages children to be good, as well as reminding adults of how important giving of ourselves can be. The Attributes of Santa in folklore, is therefore good in many ways, encouraging the Christian giving attitude.
As previously mentioned every where you turn, Santa Claus is the symbol of Christmas in America today. It is rare to see nativity scenes across the say landscape of decor during the Christmas season. Many Americans refuse to even say the words “ Merry Christmas”, instead choosing to say “Happy Holidays”, in being politically correct. The idea of Santa Claus has been purposely been presented as the reason for the season. Santa has become an idol in many ways