"The truth about Saint Nick"

15 December, 1999

Some years ago I found myself, quite to my surprise, in an argument with a couple of my friends about the legend of Saint Nick. Now, keep in mind, all of us were in our late twenties or early thirties. The argument was about whether or not one ought to teach children the legend of Saint Nick, or whether you should tell them the cold, hard facts from the start.

I was very pleased to read on ABC News dot com that the majority of child development experts agree with me: children are not harmed by myths such as Santa. In fact, they need such figures to embody abstract concepts which they can't yet understand. Children generally are unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy until age six or seven, anyway, and aren't ready to handle an abstract concept, such as unselfishness, without the help of a mythic figure until they are seven or eight.

The experts do say that there are a couple aspects of the legend which can be harmful. If the emphasis is placed too heavily upon the receiving of gifts, without telling the entire story, children won't learn the lesson of giving. Another problem happens when parents and other adults go to unreasonable lengths after the child passes the age of eight to support the idea of a physical Santa, rather than letting the natural transition of understanding him as a spiritual being to take place; this sets kids up for a cruel revelation. Another point mentioned by the experts is when adults force the facts on children earlier; which often leads to cynicism and an intolerance for others' belief systems.

I think it's also important to note that Santa is just the latest in a very long string of spirits associated with the giving of gifts. Long before the advent of Christianity or its appropriation of northern european solstice traditions, many cultures--as diverse as the Bantu of Africa and the Hopi of North America--had similar figures. Which tends to indicate that the idea has been around for many thousands of years without destroying civilization.

So, what should we do when children reach the stage that they don't need a mythic figure to embody the notion of giving? Most of the experts recommend an approach which, according to a couple of different polls, most parents come to on their own. That Saint Nick represents the spirit of giving in our hearts, and as long as we believe, he's real.

I've always thought the way my parents handled it was very cool. When they discovered that I had "learned the truth" -- they taught me the real truth, which is bigger than the cold hard facts. Now that I knew, it was my job to make the legend real for my younger sister. I had to obtain and give her gifts, and never take credit for them. And later, when she was old enough to learn the truth, we were assigned to get gifts to give to charity. We learned the joy and rewards of giving unconditionally.

That was a valuable lesson, and far more truthful than so-called facts.

See, the lie is not that there is a great philanthropist who gives gifts unselfishly. The lie is that no such person exists at all. Every year millions of parents, relatives, and complete strangers do give unselfishly. And while each individual giver may only be brightening the life of a few people, the total joy -- and the cumulative selflessness associated with it -- is too enormous for words.

So, the truth about Saint Nick is that he's alive and well, still on the job after all of these years. How do I know? I hang up my stocking every year and I gratefully accept the gifts I find inside Christmas morning. I have never been disappointed. And I never put anything in my own stocking. That's all the evidence I need.

Note to the readers: I had no idea that Charles Schultz would be announcing his retirement on the same day I posted an essay on the Peanuts. I'm going to miss my regular visit with Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy.

I'm taking a couple weeks off work for the holidays. The essays will continue throughout. Happy Solstice!

This page is copyright 1999 by Gene Breshears. Photograph is copyright 1998 by Julie Rampke. All Rights Reserved.