Santa and the Christmas Spirit

With her answer, the enchantment of Santa and his magic disappeared like a sandcastle gobbled up by the rising tide.

It's one of the painful parts of growing up - losing the Christmas magic for a time, until we realize that it can return again when we create it for others.

But learning the full story of Santa was difficult for me in other ways - it laid the seeds of doubt in my mind about my parents always being truthful with me; it shook my trust in them. I wondered how they could say that they always told me the truth and yet had encouraged me to believe something false. Of course, when I grew older, I realized that my parents hadn't tried to deceive me; they'd just wanted me to experience the excitement of Santa's magic like they had when they were children.

After I married and my husband and I had children of our own, we thought deeply about how we would celebrate Christmas. We agreed to keep Christmas centered on the Savior while also creating the excitement and magic of Santa. We kept our focus on the Savior by reading scriptures and inspirational stories, keeping our gift budget small, and ensuring that at least half of our holiday decorations were religious.

As our children grew, my husband and I discussed how we were going to handle the "Santa question." We were determined to find a way to have Santa without creating confusion about trust and honesty. I was surprised that many other mothers were experiencing the same dilemma - how to provide Christmas magic and also keep the confidence of their children when the secret was revealed - but they, too, hadn't come up with a satisfactory solution.

My answer finally came in 1996 during a First Presidency Christmas Devotional. In his talk, President James E. Faust encouraged us to show our love for the Savior by emulating Him. The true spirit of Christmas, he said, was about serving others just as Jesus did. He pointed out that the highest form of service was anonymous and mentioned that Santa symbolized the spirit of anonymous giving. The light bulb went on! I realized there was a way that my husband and I could dovetail our desire to keep the focus of Christmas on Christ and prepare our children for the "Santa talk."

The next day, I went to the local dollar store and purchased a small Nativity for each family member, including my husband and me. Every few days during the next two and a half weeks, these Nativity figures - beginning with the animals and ending with baby Jesus - mysteriously appeared on our kitchen table along with a note signed by the Christmas Spirit. The note said that he was presenting these Nativity pieces to our family to help us keep the true spirit of Christmas by reminding us of the real reason for Christmas - to celebrate our Savior.

The Christmas Spirit visited our house for a couple of years before our eldest child was old enough to learn about Santa. That year, just before the holiday season began, I visited with him in private. I told him that I was working on a very special Christmas surprise and needed his help. I revealed that I was the Christmas Spirit and that I'd like him to be my assistant. He literally leapt with enthusiasm. I told him that he had to keep it a secret so that his sisters would not know where the presents came from. Together, we went to the store and picked out three inexpensive Christmas ornaments for each family member that featured the religious symbols of Christmas - angels, stars, and so forth. Throughout the month, I did all I could to build on his excitement and help him feel the joy of anonymous giving. Before setting out the ornaments at night, we would tiptoe through the house, trying not to giggle, and make sure everyone was asleep. When the gifts were discovered the next morning, he and I put on a big show of surprise, giving one another knowing grins.

A few days after Christmas, my husband and I met with our son to discuss his experience. First, we reminisced about everything we’d done that holiday season, then we asked, "What was your favorite thing?"

Without hesitation, he exclaimed, "Being the Christmas Spirit!"

"Why do you think that was the best part?" we asked.

"Because it was fun! No one knew it was me giving the presents!"

Together, we explored the reasons that anonymous giving brings such joy and satisfaction. We told our son that parents love to give anonymously to their kids at Christmastime, too. We said that we had a special secret about how we gave presents to him and his sisters without them knowing that they were from us. Then we asked him if he could guess who Santa Claus really was. He laughed as he connected the dots. He was so pleased to be grown up enough to share in our secret. We told him now that he was old enough to know about Santa, he could be Santa's helper and fill the Christmas stockings next Christmas Eve. We also asked him to promise us that he would not tell his sisters (or any other children) what he now knew about Santa so that we could remain anonymous. Our conversation ended with big hugs, excitement about Josh's growing up, and increased feelings of love and trust.

We followed this same pattern with each of our children as they became old enough to understand the role of Santa.

Our children are all teenagers now, and we still continue our tradition. Over the years, the Christmas Spirit has brought a variety of gifts - all focusing on the Savior. Some gifts are directly linked to Christmas; others are simply Christ-centered. We keep our gifts inexpensive and often purchase them at clearance sales, at dollar stores, or from the Church Distribution Center. Through this tradition, we have built up gospel libraries for our children and provided them with Christmas decorations they can use when they have homes of their own. Most importantly, we've kept the focus of Christmas on Christ and have built bonds of trust with our children.

If you ask our children about their cherished Christmas memories, they are sure to mention the year that they got to be the Christmas Spirit and learned about Santa.

The Joy of Anonymous Giving . . .

President James E. Faust stated, "Anonymous giving reflects the Savior's love. Those of us who contribute anonymously have sweet inner feelings of the Spirit that swell inside when we do something for others that cannot be traced back to ourselves. Anonymous giving gives the gift a higher form of sanctification" ["First Presidency Focuses on the Savior at Devotional," Ensign, February 2007, 74-75].

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You're On Santa's Team Now! Answering the "Santa Question"

Julee in Idaho

This is a topic of concern for many. I know wards that have completely stopped having Santa as part of their Christmas program, which is too bad. The spirit of Santa Claus is such a good thing. A few years ago a friend shared this story with me, knowing I had a daughter that would soon be asking the "Santa question" and last year it happened. We discussed the spirit of Santa and chose a less fortunate family to be our recipients. She was excited to go out and pick out gifts for the children in the family. We wrapped everything and put the packages in a giant "Santa-style" bag. She even wore a Santa hat as she crept up on the front porch, knocked on the door, then secretly observed the smiles and tears on little faces from her vantage point in the bushes. It was magic! This will always be a part of our family Christmas traditions. I can see how this could work in families with more than one child too. As the older children ask the Santa question, they can secretly be part of Santa's Team now, not spoiling it for younger silbings, but helping to keep that magic and spirit of Santa alive and well. Here's that story: I'm sorry to say I do not know who the author is, but it is a great story! ON SANTA'S TEAM My grandma taught me everything about Christmas. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough; but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. I didn't see a price tag, but ten dollars ought to buy anything. I put the coat and my ten-dollar bill on the counter and pushed them toward the lady behind it. She looked at the coat, the money, and me. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" she asked kindly. "Yes," I replied shyly. "It's ... for Bobbie. He's in my class, and he doesn't have a coat." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa Claus" on it ... Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Suddenly, Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell twice and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie. He looked down, looked around, picked up his present, took it inside and closed the door. Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous! Santa was alive and well ... AND WE WERE ON HIS TEAM!

The Santa Question

Sharon in Downey, California

I love the story - what a great way to spread the love of Christ! As for the comment from Julie - wasn't that a good example from grandmother the grandchild? May your Christmas be filled with the light of Christ!

Collette in England

Whenever one of our children questioned Santa's identify, we replied: "If you don't believe in Santa, I guess he won't be bringing any presents." This sufficed, until they were old enough to figure it out on their own. Even in our home of young adults and teenagers, Christmas is still magical.

"Pretend"

Gail in San Antonio

Since they were old enough to open stockings and presents, our children "pretended" Santa Clause. For little ones the line between pretend and real is often blurry. Each you we would ask "shall we pretend Santa again this year?" They would enthusiastically answer "yes". As they grew, they never had to ask "the question". They already knew he was pretend. They never had the feeling of being duped by their parents and we never had to invent stories. Each year they received stockings stuffed with fun trinkets and gifts I would gather throughout the year and these would be from Santa.