The debate about Santa Claus is probably about as old as the Jolly Old Elf himself, with different cultures passing along stories of a different version of the legend of Saint Nicholas. Debatepedia, a Wiki site that lets people argue both for and against any issue they can think of, currently has a six-argument debate about Santa Claus, with both affirmative and negative opinions on each.
If you’d like to examine the issue a little more thoroughly, check out this debate-it’s clear people are taking it very seriously! Some of the issues taken on include the physics of Santa’s journey, evidence for his visits, his existence as a spirit and a feeling of goodwill toward others, and his “trendiness.” Is Santa up to date? Is he worthy of believing in? Do children deserve to know the truth?
If you’re on this web site, you’re probably looking for hints and tips to help you keep your children believing in Santa Claus, but we’re interested in what you think about Santa and what he represents? Does the feeling of goodwill and selflessness he represents mean more than the man himself?
Have you ever heard of the Elf on the Shelf? He’s Santa’s special helper who sits on a shelf in your home, keeping an eye on your children. His job is to report back to Santa whether they’re being naughty or nice. As the story goes, each night, he returns to the North Pole with his report, then comes back to your home to hide in a different location.
The creator of Elf on the Shelf, Carole Aebersold, says that her children used to race each other out of bed to try and find the elf’s new hiding place each morning. She also gave the elf a certain level of mystique by telling the children they couldn’t touch him, but only talk to him.
You can introduce Santa’s “scout elf” into your own home as a way of bolstering your children’s belief in Santa Claus, with a little extra fun thrown in when they try to find his new hiding place each morning. Visit the Elf on the Shelf gift shop online or one of their authorized retailers (you’ll find a list by clicking on “store locations” at the link listed above) to purchase the book and elf set or a Christmas activity book featuring coloring books, cutouts, and games related to the elf.
What do you do when your kids start asking the tough questions surrounding Santa Claus? For example, how does Santa get into the house if you don’t have a chimney? How does Santa visit all of those kids in one night? Can reindeer really fly that fast? How does he carry all of those heavy, oversized gifts?
You can come up with any number of explanations, but eventually there comes a point when every child begins to suspect that there’s no possible way for Santa to be real.
As a way of preserving the innocence of childhood and the magical belief in Santa, many companies are now offering products that can help you prove to your children that the magical Jolly Old Elf truly does exist.
This blog will focus on helping parents find ways to keep their children believing in Santa Claus, perpetuating the spirit of selfless giving at Christmastime and the magical belief in a person who loves and cares so deeply for others that he gives each and every child a gift on Christmas Eve. If your children are getting to the age where Santa seems a little hard to believe, bookmark this site-we’d love to help keep their faith in Santa Claus alive.