I also have no idea why Santa is a holy part of Christmas..., and yes, I know the history of St. Nicholas. When I see what Christmas has become, I think strangling "Santa Claus" might not be a bad idea myself.
Is it possible to love the idea of Christmas and hate with all your being what it has become?
As an aside, we celebrated Christmas a week early, as my wife is flying out to visit relatives today and yesterday was the last day we would all be together. For various reasons, we had two people join our family for the meal and for presents. One of these kids was Mexican and not very wealthy at all. When the gifts were opened, he pointed to a box and to me and said in his broken English "For you." It turned out that many months ago, I had enlisted him to help me move some stuff, and I complimented him on his Nike sneakers. The kid remembered that, and when we invited him in to share Chistmas meal with us, he went out an bought me an identical pair for Christmas! I have seldom been so moved by an expression of simple love and generosity, as his budget was not one that made such a purchase "easy." If there is a reason to keep St Nicholas in Christmas, that kind of stuff it is. I would be more in favor of Santa displays if there were some way to get that kind of stuff in there, rather than "BUY BUY BUY!!!!"
You bought the little boy a pair of sneakers and he bought you a pair as a way to say thank you. If that isn't the Christmas spirit I don't know what it!
I wish I could tell people on Freerepublic my opinions regarding Santa without being flamed as ignorant racist bigot, like I was last Christmas day.
But Chronic, your aside story tells me that you at least appreciate what Santa means to me - and a whole raft of soldiers here in Iraq who have been raised up by FReepers and their generosity.
Santa has visited my troops, not just on 24 DEC, but every week since we arrived in Ramadi. The spirit of that generosity, sharing the bounty of THEIR Christian belief, will make joy here for us. THAT, FRiend, is what Santa's iconography is about, not just a knee-jerk commercial hate.
All gifts come thru Christ, and Santa is a very special delivery guy, an agent of His will, just as so many of us are.
But this year, Santa is wearing ACU's and is bringing presents to Iraq - freedom being one of them. Santa's always been a part of the season for me, and these last two years, because of Freerepublic's good people, I and my family and my soldiers have seen the spirit of Santa mixed in with the true meaning of Christmas.
Amen to that.
Less Santa. Less Rudolph. Less Frosty.
More Christ.