How Can Santa Save Christmas?

Left and forgotten, Santa Claus has seen better days. With figures like the Grinch and Krampus have captured the zeitgeist, the fat man with the red outfit and the bag full of goodies still reigns supreme. He has been disparaged and embraced, dually. The faith-based crowd remains ambivalent towards jolly old Saint Nick. They know the “reason” for the season is Jesus of Nazareth, but they wish to eat their cake and have it, too.

Santa Claus is the embodiment of joy, forward-thinking, and justice. His sole role is to be just and give goodies to those who deserve it from “one to ninety-two.” By being the only fully commercialized holiday being (scram Easter Bunny) he is a figure that specializes in the beautiful act of giving and receiving. That’s right. That old saw “tis’ better to give than receive” holds no water. It means nothing. What’s the point of giving if you’re only participating in that activity? As if receiving should take a backseat and you should only share and share and no one gets the satisfaction of obtaining a value.

The Grinch is a more modern concoction who plays on the sardonic, ironic, and sarcastic side of human nature. Dr. Seuss’ creation is a reminder that we’re slowly slipping into a world where sincerity means less. This tamping down on truthfulness is an indication that the culture has at least downgraded if not all but collapsed in the face of a green monster.

Still, Santa is putting up a good fight. He doesn’t deal in anything faith-based. He doesn’t deal in anything cutting or deprecating. Instead, he works on the honor system and unlike Krampus doesn’t seek to destroy young people for their wayward behavior but shows them they can get presents they love if they only adjust their behavior.

This is the gist of Mr. Claus. He represents all that is good with the world. His holly jolly rotund self demonstrates that he can be all about consumption in moderation. He’s still able to ride in a sleigh and go around the world and make it through homes through the chimneys. Some people wonder how he gets through various apartments and homes without chimneys. Do the faithful ever ask how a baby can be born “immaculately”? Do they ever ask where the angels at the Nativity scene just appeared and why they don’t show up in actual, real terms?

The whole idea of Santa Claus is to remind us that we have a world that can be good. Through war, pestilence, famine, assault, and other horrific realities, it’s Santa that gives us hope for a hero. Though he may not have too much depth in his makeup, he is simple, pure. All the notions towards his being an intruder and a glutton become dispelled when one looks at his sterling character and his ability to govern his actions.

His “Naughty and Nice” list is famous for it being the only bit of righteousness. Scriptures say all have sinned and through the sweet babe, the world might have salvation. This is such a corruption of truth. The Bible paints humans as low, filthy wretches who must sacrifice or accept it at the least. Santa’s not like that. He’s focused on declaring the good and the bad and neglecting ugly faith. His power lies in the fact he has made a great, selfish decision to only care about those who have done the right thing over the past year.

Even the lump of coal, which is a carbon dense entity, the children might learn about the benefits of burning fossil fuels, despite their poor behavior. Santa Claus is the reason for the season because he is about Reason. The capacity to think is the chief power mankind has over nature. Christianity rejects this notion completely. “Christ” should still be in “Christmas” although it ought to ring with the commercial side of the holiday.

The Grinch, Krampus, any holiday character that doesn’t celebrate the winking lights and the carolers and the cocoa must be bitter old souls. St. Nicholas is the exact opposite who worships the mind and wishes Merry Christmas to all under the strength of his winking eye.