This is an assignment that I have to read in front of my law class tomorrow. I thought that it might interest one of the two of you that read my blog...
Merry Christmas and step. away. from the fruitcake!
Why I believe in Santa Clause, by Jennifer Dether
In Ancient Egypt, they believed in a God/Man Savior named Osiris, who died on December 21. In Ancient Rome they believed in the festival of Saturnalia celebrating the planet Saturn. In Ancient Greece’ they believed in the winter solstice ritual of “The Festival of the Wild Woman” which involved the sacrificing of goats. In Buddhism, they believe that the Buddha achieved enlightenment under a tree because he pondered the ignorant hardships of man for 8 days prior to the Sunday nearest December 8. In Christianity they believe in the virgin birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. In Druidism, they believe in magic and transformation through the death of the old sun and the birth of the dark side of the year. In Neopaganism or Wicca they believe in the ritual that celebrates the ancient Celtic beliefs of the changing of the seasons.
These are only a few of the many different holiday beliefs throughout the world. Although I find credibility and interest in a few and one that I stand firm on, I do forever believe that Santa is real. I know it because every year I hear the sleigh bell over the roof. And every year, I see my daughters face light up with glee and delight at all the lights and sounds of Christmas. I believe for her and I believe for me. And I believe for the simple fact that I can.
Santa Clause is the embodiment of all that is joyous and fun and believing in him is easy. He doesn’t expect us to sit under a tree and ponder the wayward path of man, or dance naked in the woods, or kill tennis shoe eating goats. Santa only asks that we try to be good little kids all year round and if we are, then we wake up one wintry hot chocolaty morning to find our living room filled with goodies and a pancake breakfast with bacon on the dining room table.
If one by one we stop believing in Santa, then bit by bit, he will lose his Christmas magic. If we believe in Santa, he is real. It is the belief in him that makes him real.
Keeping that belief as an adult is hard because of the mocking and ridicule from non believers. So as a family we do things that make believing in Santa easier for us. One of the things we do to make our Christmas special is decorating as early as Tom will allow. Kendra and I sometimes make cheap ass cookies and then we immediately eat them all leaving the broken ones for Tom. Every year I get a ginger bread house for Kendra and me to decorate. So that it can sit regally on the dining room table getting picked at until it’s too hard to eat and all the good stuff is gone. Then we unceremoniously huck it in the garbage can; usually with someone yelling “Oh wait!! There’s a smartie!” Tom sets up the tree in the fireplace corner and Kendra and I put on all the glitter and baubles. There is a story for every decoration and every year I tell that story to her again as we hang them on the tree. Then on Christmas Eve, we put out a plate of cookies and carrots and a big glass of milk for Santa.
And of course, every year I tell my favorite Christmas joke. Repeatedly. “Did you know there was a fourth wise man? Yep. He was turned away for bringing fruitcake.”
