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This is an article I originally wrote and posted here on Christmas in 2007. It's languished in my Journal since then. I've decided to repost it in full here for your enjoyment.
Merry Christmas, one and all.
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I believe in Santa Claus.
Father Christmas. Babbo Natale. Kris Kringle. Bellsnickle. Sinterklas. Kolyada. Svaty Miklas. Gaghant Baba. World 'round, he is the stuff of tales and legends. He's more than simply a jolly old man- Santa Claus is a concept that helps bind all that's joyful in the world into one brightly wrapped package and delivers it to all the children, all at once, once a year.
Naughty? Nice? Fun toys under the Christmas tree as a reward for a life well lived, or a lump of coal for your year's crimes? It's not something to be taken lightly- Saint Nick KNOWS. He keeps a list and is an impartial adjudicator of every child's inherent goodness. Hagios Nikolaos kicks ass- he already HAS their names.
Christmas is an odd sort of day- taken whole cloth from nothing, instead sewn together patch-work like a comfortable old quilt from rituals and beliefs stretching back through time and across the world, then finally confiscated by the Christians and used in common celebration of the birth of the King Of Kings. One single day out of the entire year is now set aside by the world to meditate upon a most astounding idea- peace on earth and good will toward men.
Even wars stop for Santa. As Christmas Day came upon them, the front line soldiers of World Wars I and II ceased their fire, put down their weapons, stood up, and granted a moment's peace to those on the other side of the lines. For a single day, enemies shared comradeship instead of weapons fire, drank coffee and ate meals together, exchanged such small gifts as they could find upon the battlefield, and enjoyed a few peaceful hours exchanging stories of home with men they knew they would be shooting at again the next day. The spirit of Santa Claus moved among these tired, frightened men, and for a moment madness turned into peace.
It's a lesson I sincerely hope our children re-learn. Our generation seems to have forgotten the importance of such things in our rush toward self destruction, and we need to remember what this day is REALLY all about so the dream of peace will never fade away and die.
As long as there are pine trees waiting to light the night with twinkling red and green lights, as long as there is a bowl of fresh popcorn all ready for families to string together, as long as there is as little as one single voice out in the snowy night singing songs of peace on earth, as long as there are candy canes to lick and presents to unwrap, Father Christmas will walk among us and whisper words of peace into our children's ears.
So in the spirit of the tradition of our comrades on the front lines, may all the guns today be silent and all the conflicts ended. For just a little time may all foes 'round the world reach out their hands to their enemies and remember how to be friends. For just twenty four brief hours let the world turn without the taint of malice, vindictiveness and hate. For just a few brief moments let us all put our petty spitefulness aside and extend our hands across the battlefield as friends instead of enemies. It IS possible, you know- all you have to do is believe in Santa Claus.
It's been many years since I've been in a house full of children on Christmas morning. My modest apartment has no chimney for Santa to sneak down, nor do I have a Christmas tree for him to put my presents under. There are no stockings on the hearth that isn't there, and I have no plans to leave milk and cookies out for him- if Santa is hungry, he knows where the kitchen is!
But I've found that none of that is necessary for me- I DO have family, even though most of them are half a nation away. I still have my allotment of close friends, and although my gifts both to and from them all may not be properly wrapped, they are given and received freely and with great joy.
I've lived a full life- I've been a lot of places and I've seen a lot of things. And throughout all the years of my life I've always managed to set aside this one day out of the year to sit in peace and thank the Lord for the idea of Santa Claus. I've kept my eyes, my mind, and my heart open to the concept, and in the end that's good enough for me. It's enough to give me hope that in the end we may still have a chance to get past our hate one day.
So with all my heart and all my soul, I DO, and always WILL believe in Santa Claus. He DOES exist! And you can wrap that up in brightly colored paper and give it to your children and call it truth, and know you haven't lied.
Merry Christmas, all my friends.
God bless us, every one.
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