Santa Clause,
a.k.a. St. Nicholas is one of the most recognizable and mysterious symbols of the Christmas
season. He is lauded by many as a gift-giver and bringer of joy to children. Still
by others he is labeled a pagan distraction from Jesus whose birth the advent
is meant to commemorate. But just who is the real man behind the beard? Regardless
of whether you are a fan of Santa or a Santa hater, you probably don’t know
much about the real St. Nick. What I’m about to share with you may totally
change the way you see him.
Early Church
records indicate that Santa was a real person. He was born to a wealthy Greek
family in the 3rd century near the city of Myra in what is presently Turkey. His
parents died and he used the family fortune to rescue people in need. One
famous story surrounding old St. Nick is that he is said to have secretly put
gold in stockings to save young ladies from a life of prostitution by giving
them a dowry and thus making them eligible for marriage. In other words, Santa
made it rain on them (would-be) hoes long before Lil Wayne threw his first
dollar bill at a stripper. Could this possibly explain his laugh?
Santa was made a Bishop at a young age but was
known for much more than just his generosity. He had some serious street credibility
among his Christian brethren. In fact, during the reign of Roman Emperor
Diocletian he spent time in jail where he was tortured for being a leader in
the Church. Torture methods used by Romans were notoriously brutal and left him
disfigured. But Santa took it like a boss and never cracked. Christians who
survived torture without denying their faith were called “confessors”. It’s uncertain how many tattoos he received
while locked up, but it’s probably where he picked up smoking.
Some
protestant Christians don’t like Santa because they view him as a pagan symbol
derived from Norse mythology. It’s true that both Odin and Santa enjoy flying
and have epic beards. But that’s where the similarities end. The earliest
historical traditions demonstrate that he was no friend of the pagan religions.
During his time as Bishop of Myra, we are told that he directly challenged the
old Roman gods at the Temple of Artemis and accounts tell us that “evil spirits
fled howling before him.” Santa was a
Jedi.
Do you still
want to call him a pagan? You better watch out. In fact, after Santa was
released from prison he attended a meeting of church leaders in the year 325
called the Council of Nicea. At that meeting St. Nicholas is said to have
knocked a brother out during a rather serious theological disagreement. This assault
landed him back in jail. until according to legend, God spoke to one of the
Church fathers in a dream and ordered St. Nick released from prison. Evidently
Santa was super-tight with the Almighty.
All of these
accounts make for a substantial contrast to our popular image of Santa in
America which is principally derived from his depiction in the 1823 Clement
Moore poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. It seems as though the real Santa has
more in common with the Batman than his modern portrayals would have you
believe. He was not a fat, jolly old guy but a heroic and generous individual.
Of course he shouldn’t replace Jesus as the focus of Christmas, but I think he deserves
a lot more respect than he receives. In other words don’t elf around with Santa
and you’ll stay on his good list.
(As published in the Murreesboro Pulse December 2013)
