A look inside the truth behind Santa Claus
Like a kid on Christmas, the excitement flows through chills of awaitment, spending the season listening carefully to your parents in hopes of a jolly figure adding your house to his list of destinations. And on that chilly night his crimson sled will glide him through the air delivering gifts to children worthy of his recognition. But who exactly is this character? And why do so many young children wait for his presence every year? Yet never catch a glimpse of his appearance. Years of our childhood is spent believing in a character we later learn to forget. Our teen years are spent with the absence of this heavenly man. Then later in our adult years we reconnect with his legacy, but this time we let his magic influence our own children. Why does this mystery named Santa Clause flow in and out of our lives? And why does Santa have such diverse impacts on different ages?
A big red sleigh filled with millions of presents flies over many houses on Christmas Eve awaiting for the good boy’s and girls within the sleigh sat a great man with a long white beard and a floppy red hat. A man known as Santa Claus by many boys and girls, but perhaps that is not where the story of the jolly old man started. Hundreds of years ago lived a monk named Saint Nicholas born around 280 A.D. in Patara or modern-day Turkey. On December 6 the day Nicholas died was considered a lucky time to make great purchases or become married. Santa Claus, the name most people equate with a jolly man in a red suit, started from Nicholas Dutch nickname Sinter Klass. Saint Nicholas or Santa was originally depicted as more of a religious figure rather than the iconic red suit, red hat, jolly spirit man that we see today. Thomas Nast was the originator of the Santa Claus we know today. The Coca-Cola Company in the 1920’s used Nast’s image of Santa Claus, one with a red suit, red hat, and flying high over good boys and girls as they await for his arrival. The legend of Saint Nicholas may not be filled with as much magic as the one about a cheery old fellow named Santa Claus.
Some adults believe that Santa is for children. They choose to keep the magic alive for their young children just as they had the magic when they were younger. Adults believe that the myth of Santa teaches children the rights and wrongs of the world. PRHS teacher, Marisa Scoggins believes Santa is a figure of learning and acceptance for children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVlCHcdz2c
While some adults believe Santa is a character for adolescence, PRHS teacher Chris Cline believes Santa is for everyone. Cline believes that adults lose the part of them that believes in Santa. He also believes that part of them that had faith in Santa is not gone but rather forgotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ0JFqrWSto
When investigating the importance of Santa the perspective of teenagers came to be quite different from adults. Sophomore Makhi Jones admits he doesn’t believe Santa was important for him as a child. Jones believes Christmas is about family. Jones says he doesn’t think Santa should interrupt the importance of family on holidays. He claims children should never be fooled into believing in a fictional character and instead keep Santa known as a myth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncZIEeuJAvc
While some believe Santa isn’t as important he can still be a fun element of childhood remember. Senior, Amani Arellano believes Santa can bring a spark of fun and magic to a home. Arellano says if children believe in Santa and are having fun with the magic and faith then adults shouldn’t spoil it. She believes Santa is a symbol of hope and excitement for many children and a way to reword them after a year of behaving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCHDzEI8mV4
With many different households throughout this snowy season a jolly man is expected to bring rewards to the wide eyed children of the nation. But as children grow into adults their appreciation remains for the joy Santa brought them in the past. This mystic man seems to hold many childrens faith, however his presence can at times lose importance throughout the years. When asked about Santa, PRHS teacher Marcy Goodnow believes Santa is a beautiful part of life.
“I think children gain a sense of wonder and magic from Santa. When we become adults there is enough real life that we go through, so it is beautiful to know that while you are a child you can experience magic”
Marcy Goodnow
Teacher
