Definition:
“Santa Claus” is a legendary fictional character associated with Christmas, known for delivering gifts to children around the world on Christmas Eve.
Etymology:
The name “Santa Claus” is derived from the Dutch name “Sinterklaas,” which in turn is a shortening of “Sint Nicolaas,” meaning Saint Nicholas.
Description:
Santa Claus is often depicted as a jolly, elderly man with a white beard, dressed in a red suit with white fur trim and wearing a Santa hat, and traveling in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.
It is a tradition that millions of parents lie to their children about the existence of Santa Claus and that he brings gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. However, if children do not behave, he will not bring gifts. This is a common scare tactic, similar to how the fictional characters the Easter Bunny and God are used as scare tactics to control the behavior of the gullible. It is usually said that Santa comes down the chimney and places the gifts under the Christmas tree while the children sleep. He has to deliver the gifts while they are sleeping, so they don’t see him. Kids are told that if they don’t sleep, he’s not coming, which is a tactic to get them to go to sleep. The same way God never shows himself, because they don’t exist. The only so-called evidence the children get that Santa has been there is that the cookies and the glass of milk they set out for him are gone when they wake up.
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas, is traditionally said to live at the North Pole. This location is a part of the popular lore surrounding Santa, depicting a magical, snowy, and remote place where he prepares for Christmas. The North Pole is imagined as a bustling workshop where Santa, along with his team of little helpers known as elves, creates toys and gifts for children around the world.
How millions of adults lie to children about Santa Claus is a prime example of how herd mentality and conspiracies work. People generally don’t think through the consequences of lying. They lie because they think it’s fun and believe it is harmless, or simply because they don’t care about how it impacts others. This behavior programs their children to become as gullible as they are, incapable of distinguishing fiction from existence. These children may end up unable to debunk the existence of God, passing on the same limited thinking to their own children as well.
There is a video worth watching of a mother behind the camera who continues to lie to her 11-year-old daughter about the existence of Santa Claus, while the clever young girl presents arguments for why it’s wrong to do so. The mother is not receptive to the arguments at all. Click to watch the video.
Symbolism:
Santa’s little helpers, traditionally depicted as cheerful and industrious elves, are a beloved part of Christmas folklore. However, parallels can be drawn between these fictional helpers and the actual issue of child labor used in the production of many consumer goods, including toys and Christmas gifts. In countries like China, India, and others, child labor is a significant issue, with children often working long hours in poor conditions to produce goods for Western markets.
“Santa” is an anagram of “Satan.” This symbolism is illustrated in the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), where the main character Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, figures out what Christmas really is and realizes that he is the same character as Santa Claus. During a musical scene called “Jack’s Obsession,” he is trying to figure out what “it” means when his dog “Zero” brings him a picture of himself. Jack looks at the picture, and we are shown it transform between him in his regular clothes as the scare king of Halloween and him in Santa Claus’ outfit. Click to watch the video clip.
