Parables. Jesus taught in parables
Ding ding ding! Tell him what he's won! Oh, wait, sorry, that's not the right answer. 1 John 15 is not a parable; it is a metaphor.
Santa is not Jesus. Santa is a myth.
And I'm suggesting that perhaps, properly used, Santa is also a metaphor.
"'Twas the Night Before Christmas" is a secular poem designed to promote Christmas as a commercial holiday.
Actually, no, it was not. It is a secular poem, yes. But its author never really intended for it to be so widely read and enjoyed; he wrote it for the sake of his family alone. It has indeed taken on a life of its own, to use a metaphor.
For Christians, Jesus is not a myth. For everyone, Santa is a myth. Yet, the Santa stories are taught to children as if Santa were a god, fulfilling wishes, flying through the air, punishing bad children, and all that sort of diety kind of thing.
I don't know of any Christian who thinks the real God is anything like that silly little cartoon picture you're painting. What you're describing sounds more like that Aladdin cartoon character---or Santa. But not God.
Precisely. In addition, it is the parents who catch the heat for Santa's missteps, not God. Even children know not to elevate Santa to a religious level. This frustrated substitute teacher should take a lesson from the kids.