The Truth Behind Santa Claus

Have you felt guilty letting your children believe in Santa Claus?

I have. 

My son was in daycare at a young age and a belief in Santa Claus was the norm.  Not wanting to disappoint my son, I decided to play along.  I knew there was more to the story.  But I didn’t know how to explain it.

So when I met I met fellow writer Matthew Eldridge at a recent writer’s conference, I knew I had to share his book, Saint Nicholas, the Christmas Story,  with you.  As I heard his passion behind the book, I wanted to share that with you too.  The following guest post by Matthew is a result of that conversation.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. As a Christian, this holiday has a lot of meaning to me. It’s the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

But I must admit, Christmas Eve always gave me flutters fueled by anticipation of a mysterious man donning a red suit and bringing presents to boys and girls all over the world. I’ve always been fascinated by this man, and while I understand the true reason for this season, I don’t see the damage in children being excited about this secret gift-giver.

As we were celebrating my daughter’s first Christmas, I was taken back by the many parents in our home group bible study who were convinced that Santa Claus, or more appropriately named, Saint Nicholas, was the enemy of Christmas. They saw him as a fraud who stole the limelight from baby Jesus, and wanted us to join them in their tirade in exposing him as the decoy. I have no problems with parents wanting their children to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and I don’t mind them telling their children the truth about the mysterious red-suited man. However, painting him as an enemy or a distraction to the true meaning of Christmas really bothers me.

Before we all dismiss this man, I’d like to unveil the truth behind the myth. Who is this mystery gift giver? My passion for Christmas and my drive to uncover the identity of this follower of Christ led me to write my novel, Saint Nicholas, the Christmas Story. What I discovered was that I had a lot more in common with this man in red than I would have ever thought, and that his passion for his Savior and for the lost and broken is definitely something to be recognized and even emulated.

Our earliest records of Saint Nicholas tell us that he was an orphan who was passionate about Jesus. With a fervor to serve a living God, he pursued ministry in his teen years and quickly became the Bishop of Myra. Unlike the Santa Claus images we see today of a jolly ol’ fat man with rosy cheeks, the real Saint Nicholas was a thin man who only ate twice a week because he believed it drew him closer to God.

He was filled with compassion towards those who were poor or orphaned and did everything he could to help them. He was a voice for the helpless. He was tracked down by the Emperor Diocletian, and was even imprisoned for his faith.  He was also known for destroying a nine foot statue of the false god Artemis, because he believed that no other God should be worshiped but Christ alone!

He crossed paths with Constantine, who appointed him a seat on The First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. He also has been noted for performing a number of miracles in the name of the Lord. The actual day appointed to celebrate this man of God (just like we celebrate Saint Patty’s Day and Saint Valentine’s Day), was December 6^th. It wasn’t until  much later on that the Festival of the Christ and Saint Nicholas’s Day were combined. 

My novel, Saint Nicholas, the Christmas Story, contains all the wonderful, historical elements of Saint Nicholas’s life. However, I tied in a lot of Christmas fun, child-like wonder, adventure, and fantasy to make the story complete. As it is written in the novel, Saint Nicholas was not a man who desired the spotlight, but a man who humbly served Jesus by serving others. I hope that those who read my novel will be inspired by his passion to serve. God has given us all an opportunity to live for something greater than ourselves, and I believe Saint Nicholas is a perfect role model for giving. He’s not Jesus, and he’s not in competition with him. In fact, I think he’s Jesus’s biggest fan.

Matthew Eldridge is the author of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas Story, a historical fiction fantasy novel.  www.mattheweldridge.net

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Thank you, Matthew, for sharing your passion with us!

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If you would like to purchase Saint Nicholas, the Christmas Story, please visit www.mattheweldridge.com.

Tomorrow, I will share my thoughts about the book and how we eventually handled the truth in our house.  Hope to see you then!

Merry Christmas!