Yes

by Abigail Winston

Created on: November 30, 2010   Last Updated: December 01, 2010

     Yes, of course, parents should  tell their children the truth about Santa Claus-but first you must know what that truth is. And sometimes, if you don't know what the truth is, talking with a child is the perfect way to discover that what  truth is goes beyond mere fictitious inventions that function as a stepping off point to much deeper realizations. Here's what I learned about Santa Claus from my children.

     “Do reindeer really fly?” asked my second grader, Thomas, as I cruised home in the car with my three children one brisk December afternoon.

     In a split second, I thought: Holy cow, in the next few minutes I am required to explain what I actually believe to my child.

     Telling the truth is subjective. And, when it comes to children, whether we realize it or not, they listen intently to our explanations and absorb not only what we say but the deeper meaning behind our convictions. Questioning our own beliefs is a prerequisite to explaining them to anyone, let alone children – which is general wisdom, but how does that apply to this question?

     As with all myths, fables and legends, I said to myself, just keep the theme in mind, the moral of the story, the big picture, the greater truth and just answer the question.

     “Yes they do,” I said.

     “Well how come we don’t see them flying across the sky all year?” he wondered.

     “Oh, not all reindeer can fly. Only the ones Santa trains,” I said, remembering excerpts from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

     “Where are they?” he asked, trying to put the story together in his own mind.

     “At the North Pole,” I said.

     “Where does he keep them? In his house?” he asked.

     “No, I doubt it. They’re too big,” I said, wondering along with him.

     “Then where? In his basement?” he asked, trying to draw logical conclusions.

     “No. I think the toy factory is in the basement. He probably has a stable for them,” I said, beginning to paint my verbal picture.

     “Oh,” he said, shaking his head up and down, agreeing that a stable made sense. “How many reindeers does he have?”

     “You know. Let’s see,” I said, racking my brain, “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid,

Donner and Blitzen.”

     “You forgot Rudolph,” he chided.

     “Right, Rudolph,” I said, correcting myself.

     “So, he has nine reindeers to pull his sleigh. What if one gets sick?” he asked with a note of concern in his voice.

     “Well, there’s probably more. All those reindeer have families and they probably all take flying lessons in case he needs them,” I said, smiling

    “What do they eat?” he asked.

    “Oats, hay, grass, fruit –just like regular deer,” I said.

     “So why don’t regular deer fly?” he concluded.

     “Only reindeer can do it.”

     “Where does he get them?” he pressed.

     “Reindeer come from Greenland,” I said.

     “Do they fly there?”

      “No. After they’re trained Santa sprinkles Christmas snow on them - the snow that falls at the North Pole on Christmas Eve- that’s what makes them fly,” I explained.

     “Oh. How come we never see them flying in the sky?”

     “That’s a very good question,” I said, stalling for time. “It’s because the Christmas snow can also make them invisible.”

      “That’s why we can’t see them on the lawn,” he figured.

     “Right,” I confirmed.

     “Another thing I was wondering about was how does Santa get into all the houses that don’t have fireplaces?” he asked.

     “Christmas snow,” I said.

     “How come Santa comes and goes through our front door and not down the chimney?”

     “Well, we usually light a fire in the fireplace on Christmas Eve,” I reminded him.

     “Hah,” he laughed, “that’s right. Why does he knock? Why doesn’t he just use the Christmas snow?”

     “Because he knows we’re home and that mommy and daddy are awake waiting to let him in,” I said.

     “Can we all hide this year and watch him unpack his sack?” he asked.

      “He’ll know,” I said.

     “That’s right – he sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake. Sometimes I am awake when he comes.”

     “He knows that. He also knows that you went to bed when mommy and daddy asked you,” I said. “And, that I’ll wake you to meet him after he’s finished his work.”

     “How does he fit all the toys for children all over the world on his sleigh?” he wondered.

     “Well, first of all he does one half of the world at a time. ‘Cause you know it’s daytime here and night time on the other side of the world. He also uses the Christmas snow to shrink everything,” I said, smiling.

     “That’s how he does it!” said Thomas, delightedly.

     Michael, my nine-year-old, listening the whole time with his five-year-old sister, Marea, finally piped up and said, “Really, Thomas, at your age you should know . . .”

     “Michael,” I interrupted, “Thomas is only in second grade.”

     “I knew in first grade that if you can imagine it, Santa can do it. Santa Claus is a saint. He’s St. Nicholas –the spirit of Christmas. It’s that simple. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of his reindeer were spirits, too,” he said.

     “Are they?” asked Thomas.

     “I don’t know,” I said. “Ask Santa on Christmas Eve.” I made a mental note to call their Uncle James, our Santa persona, and figure out the answer before they pop the question.

     “Some kids in my class say there’s no such thing as Santa Claus,” said Michael.

     “What?” said Thomas, shocked.

     “Can you believe it?” Michael said. “I told them: You don’t believe there was a St. Nicholas who was a bishop and helped poor children? You don’t believe that when he died his spirit could continue to do good and inspire others to do the same?”

     “What’d they say?” Thomas asked, floored by such a revelation.

     “They said, no. Well, I told them, that is what half the world believes. If you don’t believe me look in the encyclopedia under St. Nicholas or even in the dictionary,” Michael said, smiling at his brother. “You don’t ever have to see Santa, Thomas, to believe that good is a very powerful force.”

      And that’s what we really believe.

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