Santa's Secret

 

   How old were you when the mystery of Santa Claus unraveled?  Every person who celebrates Christmas and remembers magical visits from Santa has a story about that day.

   Some learned the truth from older siblings or classmates who couldn’t keep the secret any longer. Others became junior detectives and solved the mystery on their own. Then there were the parents who just sat the kids down and laid it out for them.

   My moment of discovery involved a pink Tonka Safari Jeep that I spotted in a catalogue. Years later I read that the Tonka Jeep was a reproduction of one Elvis Presley drove in the 1962 movie Blue Hawaii.  My musical tastes at the age of six were not so refined that I wanted the “Elvis Jeep.”  I just thought the fringe around the roof was cool.

   So the Jeep was added to Santa’s list.  Shortly before Christmas I found the Jeep along with other new toys stashed in the basement under an old tarp. Confronted with the evidence, my mother simply explained it to me. It would be dramatic to say I broke into tears but it wasn’t that big of a deal. The truth is that I probably learned to appreciate my parent’s generosity and love for the first time.  I don’t know if she was relieved or disappointed but Christmas that year was wonderful and still full of surprises – even with the Elvis Jeep.

   Many years later, with children of our own, my wife and I happily played Santa but keeping the myth alive sometimes required some creativity.  The last year that Santa officially visited I found myself driving early on Christmas morning to Blockbuster. To save money, I had rented several games for the new PlayStation game system that sat under the tree. To avoid the obvious question about how I knew Santa would bring such a marvelous toy, I chose to drive a few laps around the block and return from Blockbuster with the games.  My son never asked the second most obvious question about why the video rental store was open at 8 a.m. on Christmas. Later the same day the mystery was unraveled at our dinner table with both kids. They were just too old and too smart to be misdirected anymore.  

   Even after learning the big secret, most kids happily play along.  In a way it’s their first connection to the adults around them. They enjoy a sense of pride in knowing something others do not and most work hard to let the younger ones enjoy Santa Claus. Instead of ruining Christmas, the truth can actually help children appreciate why there is a Santa at all.

   The story of Santa Claus began almost 1,700 years ago with St. Nicholas, a bishop in the early Christian church.  Legend says he anonymously helped a poor nobleman who needed a dowry for his three daughters. He left bags of gold simply for the joy of giving and not the recognition.  Word eventually got out that St. Nicholas was the donor and many charitable gifts were attributed to him during his life. The story of one selfless person carried on through Christian communities for hundreds of years. It was in the late 1800’s that the character of St. Nicholas became the more commercial image of Santa Claus.

The story of Christmas is first and foremost the story of Jesus’ birth.  For millions of children, it is also the story of Jolly St. Nick.

The idea of giving to others simply for the joy of it

Strip away the advertising inserts and endless hours or holiday music and Christmas the idea of giving simply for the joy of it underlies the best part of this season and that is the true meaning of Christmas.