LDS Living's recent post about What Prophets Have Said About Santa Claus sparked quite a conversation on Facebook that got many parents talking about how much Santa should be included in their Christmas, if at all. Some of the comments were as follows:
- "There is nothing wrong with letting the little ones believe if they understand Santa is a symbol of Christ's goodness and love."
- "Santa is not the one bringing love and joy into your heart. You can't get love from a fictional character. Christ-like love and giving to others is a concept that comes from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Real love, real joy, real peace, has got to come from a real source. Otherwise it's a fairy tale that cannot be everlasting."
- "I am reminded of a Christmas at age 13 when I found out that 'Santa Claus is not real.' I ran home and fell into my mother's arms crying hysterically, 'Why didn't you tell me that Santa Claus was not real?' She said, 'Of course Santa Claus is real! Don't you know who he is? Santa Claus is your father.' Simple. No pain. No lies. I still believe. We are all Santa Claus."
- "I told my kids from day one that Santa was a make-believe person and that pretending he was real was a fun game to play during Christmas (Secret Santa!). I also warned them not to tell other kids that he wasn't real because they didn't know, and their parents needed to be the ones to tell them. We still have magical Christmases."
- "The motto in our house is 'If you stop believin', you stop receivin'!'"
So, we want to know--how do you talk to your children about Santa Claus? Take our poll and leave your comments below.
Want some ideas on how to handle the "Santa question"? Check out LDS Living's article, "Santa and the Christmas Spirit."