S, my 7 yo daughter, does not believe in Santa Claus. Not the Christmas Marketing giant that has existed now for a very long time. A classic example of a legend being snagged and twisted to one's own ends. Where is the Santa that the NY Sun wrote about in their editorial in answer to young Virginia's question? Certainly not in the commercial mechanism that seems to run the holidays these days.
Everyday we see this image of a Jolly Old Man with a flowing white beard and a bright red suit. Is he truly Santa Claus? Not in my books. In my books he is the Grinch that stole Christmas. I will not perpetuate the story that Coke Cola created this particular image of Santa. This image of Santa Claus had been evolving for many years prior to Coke's media coup to boost soft drink sales in the winter. Yet this is the Santa that we know today.
What makes Christmas fun is the time spent with family, sharing and loving and laughing and crying (from laughing too hard...) That is where we find the true Christmas spirit. The "Christkindlein" - the Christ Child - AKA Kris Kringle (bet you didn't know that did you? lol) - the Love behind the true "Santa", accompanied by Saint Nicholas - AKA Santa Claus - the saintly man who provided needed gifts to families so that they could survive the hard times of his day. Can we truly say that there is anything we need in North America?
We have access to fertile land and clean water. We have materials to build shelter and to keep warm during the cold seasons or to protect us from the harshness of the sun in the hot seasons. We have, we have, we have... necessities, opportunities, and luxuries. We have so much that we forget what is most important - each other. This Christmas, take a moment and be present to your loved ones. Listen to your grand-mother's stories, find out what your kids are doing, forgive someone who hurt you, reach out to someone who is alone and remember... "Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that (commercial) curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond."
Thursday, December 20, 2007
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