Tags

, , , , , ,

 

© 2013 Kebba Buckley Button.  World Rights Reserved.

Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Are you over-Santa’d?  Do you see far too many of those white-bearded guys with red suits, in commercials, movies, and TV shows?  Meteorologists on many TV stations even pretend to track Santa as he travels the globe, supposedly delivering gifts to all good people.  His image may have come to us culturally from the Danish “nisse” tradition: little helpful people with peaked red hats.  But the Coca-Cola company created the current image of Santa—red suit, white trim, white beard, black boots, and rosy cheeks–and his cultural presence is now everywhere in the US and many other countries.

 

If you are a Christian, you may be truly baffled as to why anyone would tell the Santa myth to their kids.  What a lot of fuss to keep up with this cultural setup, when the reason for the season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  I know, Jesus was born in the Spring, but this is the time of year when we celebrate His birth, so stick with me for another minute.

 

So what can you do about Santa saturation?  Insulate yourself!  Choose your own Santa-free music, and play it, at home, in the car, and through your earbuds.  Air only your preferred Santa-free movies, and don’t go caroling except with groups that leave out the Santa songs.  Politely decline!  Stay out of the malls until after December 26th, doing all your ordering online, or next year, before about December 1st.

 

The worst anti-Christian message of the Santa myth is that Santa is in charge of managing your kids, not you, the parent. Does this sound familiar: “[H]e knows if you’ve been sleeping.  He knows if you’re awake.  He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for Goodness’ sake!”  Wait, isn’t that God?  So parents who teach their kids to be good, so that Santa will bring them gifts, are handing off their parenting to Santa!  Hello?  Does this make sense?  Can we just step back and take a fresh look at this whole Santa thing?  The presents are from loved ones, the late-night cookies are eaten by the parents who’ve stayed up late wrapping gifts, and the tree was decorated entirely by people who care and who the kids know.

 

So if you’re Christian to some degree, let’s sing a round of “It came upon a midnight clear” and then a round of “Oh little town of Bethlehem.”  Let’s thank God for those precious children and the one baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas.  Thank God for all the good in your life and all the good to come.  Let Santa be completely on his own this Christmas.

 

Happiest holidays from UpBeat Living!  And this year, may there be Peace on Earth.

——————

● Kebba Buckley Button is the author of the 2013 book, Peace Within:  Your Peaceful Inner Core (Second Edition).   Keep this book with you constantly, to quickly recharge your Peace Within, with quotes, photos, and poems that take you directly there!  Kebba is a corporate stress management trainer, and she also has a holistic healing practice.

● Liked this blog?  Why not buy Kebba’s books?  Just click the links!

● Your comments are welcome!

● Reach the writer at kebba@kebba.com .