What is Santa Claus (may be a reprint)

“Excuse me? Don’t you mean WHO is Santa Claus?””No”

You’ve gone to the mall to get those earrings for your old aunt Doris, knowing full well she will lose them within a week. As you walk towards the department store you see a line extending out to the parking lot and almost wish you had hearing aids because those can be turned off. It’s pure bedlam with the kids yelling and the parents screaming to tell them to either be quiet or no Santa Claus. You’ve been here before. You know every kid in this line is waiting to see that fat man dressed in Red. You know also that he is a fake even though you may have told your kids he was a representative of the real thing. Believe it or not, you didn’t lie.

So what is Santa Claus?

“Oh good grief, this idiot keeps talking about what, not who.”

Yep. That’s because Santa Claus is the spirit of Christmas. His reputation is that he has a list of good and bad. Every child gets a reward of some kind, the good ones get toys, the bad ones get underwear. That means, oh wait a minute, that is not right. That is the materialistic Santa Claus. That is not who or what Santa Claus, the real one, is about. Santa Claus, Christmas is not about getting. That is the selfish; I deserve such and such, philosophy. Ah, you’ve figured it out; it’s all about giving. Your first thought is, I’m not giving Aunt loseseverthing earrings, I’ll give her a new microwave. That’s too big for her to even lose. Wait, she did lose her car one time, no, her son took it. Anyway.

No, you have not figured it out. The spirit of Christmas is not about the giving of material things. It’s the time of year when we focus on giving of ourselves, our love, our kindness, towards others. Write this on your hand, then slap your forehead, maybe that way it will sink in that this is what we are supposed to do all the time. Maybe, just maybe, if half the world did this, the other half would get the message. But how do we convince half the world? Ah, that is the easiest part. You the individual live that way and let those around you see your happiness. Help them copy you. Happiness is contagious. Smile and nod courteously at all you see.

Ok, we’re back to that same nagging question, what is Santa Claus? He is the embodiment of all that the great holiday is for. We are celebrating the birth of our savior. We are throwing him a worldwide birthday party and our gifts are peace, love, and kindness. That is what Santa Claus is.