Do Not Teach Your Children About Santa Claus

No one is trying to replace Saint Nicholas with Santa Cause. There's no need to be puritan here.

Paying attention to the fake version of the saint distracts us from the real version and the meaning of the feast. There’s no reason to introduce such a distraction to our children. There’s no spiritual benefit for them.

We never did. Told my kiddo who Saint Nicholas is, explained Santa, that it was us who were able to give gifts because of God’s blessings. Turned out just fine.

My big issue with Santa was the lying to your kids about him. I also think there's a contradiction for children as they grow older and realize Santa was a lie, Easter Bunny was a lie, Tooth Fairy was a lie, but Jesus and the Saints are still supposed to be real. I think it fosters distrust between a parent and a child during a crucial time period in a child's development.

Almost always I'm with Fr. Peter, but, man... the first minutes of the videos sounds like the Grinch or Ebneger Scrooge hating christmas, hahaha. Lots of what fr says is true, but I can't see how a innocent play for a very young child can be so harmful in an individual level.

Paying attention to the fake version of the saint distracts us from the real version and the meaning of the feast. There’s no reason to introduce such a distraction to our children. There’s no spiritual benefit for them.

Bah. Humbug.

Here is my ☦️ family visiting Santa arranged by a local community group we are involved with, that group provides meals for the elderly and arranges family minded events. This man volunteered his time to do that, he had researched the stories of blessed St Nicholas & my kids and him spoke about how wonderful a man he was, as my kids knew the stories too. I used to listen to teachings that are more fundamentalist and the fruits of them cause isolationism and a distrust of *everything* in the world, whilst the world may be fallen, it *also* has good. And Christmas 🎁🎄 still contains a good message inside it's core. Merry Christmas to all. Remember, we *ALL* contribute to sin, we are no better than the worldly imitation of 🎅

@TannerNash86 🙄

Santa's elves know whether you've been naughty or nice--clearly a reference to Satan and his demons cataloging your sins. Keep Satan out of Christmas.

Our kids weren't raised with Santa. But, my son was 5, women were mall shopping (I was distracted); he went missing. Mrs came out & said: "Where's Basil?" DOH! Across the way, we saw him in the [long] Santa line. When his turn came, the camera broke. He had 20 min widdim. 😏🤪

Spot on!

Bottom lines: -Santa Claus is a lie. Don’t lie or teach your kids to lie even if it’s “just for fun”. -Saint Nicholas is true -The birth of Christ, Our Redeemer and Lord, is true 🙏

More like the Scrooge Ethos starring this guy

Pietism is not piety Anyone who listens to this is as lost as the people who burned "witches"

Absolutely agree. Pietism is not piety. And this is not about pietism. This is about truth. About love. About veneration of the Saints. About not confusing and distorting the image of the Saints in the minds of your children and much much more. Maybe we’re the ones who are attached to Santa Claus and not our children?

I believed in Santa when I was a kid. Then there was a family tragedy and I did not get gifts from my parents (or Santa) at Christmas. They avoided explaining why. I thought, “wow, I must have been really ‘bad’, I didn’t even get a lump of coal.”

@richardrohlin @PageauJonathan Paying attention to the fake version of the saint distracts us from the real version and the meaning of the feast. There’s no reason to introduce such a distraction to our children. There’s no spiritual benefit for them.

"Hey ChatGPT, generate an image of the Grinch as an Orthodox Priest."

I believe that the discovery that "Santa doesn't exist" is meant to prefigure the idea of atheism. A child usually discovers that Santa doesn't exist from an older friend, who mocks the younger child for their innocence. Innocence becomes a burden. We must not deceive.

The framework of this is very fire and brimstone fundamentalist rather than ☦️ orthodox

Fire and brimstone? What are you talking about? There’s not anything like that here. The point is the focus on the Saints and not get distracted by fairytales and poor examples, and thus undermine the early important years of the children.

Just a reminder that secular New Year’s twenty-four hours are the most vile time of the year with the most killings, fights and other crimes happening. Who wants people to be drunk and violent? Who promotes this degenerate holiday?

"The adult version of discovering Santa doesn't exist is discovering that Santa DOES exist" Mr J Pageau "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees..."

Thank you Father Peter! I’ve been trying to show my wife that these western Christmas traditions regarding Santa Clause, and over doing it with gifts is counter productive to raising kids with a Christian frame of mind.

Nobody likes the hard lessons. I’m happy to throw santa in the trash in a split second.

*sigh*

Mom always said it was invented so the jewish business owners could make $ off of Christians. Santa Claus is ok so long as you make the right connection w/ St N. I ‘argued adamantly ’ w/ a 3rd gr Jewish classmate that he was indeed very real. One of the most famous saints…

@ARealWildCat We just discussed this yesterday evening. As a grandparent, I wanted to see what my daughter and SIL were doing. They are going with St Nicholas for a few small goodies and parents, family as the giver of other gifts. Santa Claus is not real and too commercialized

I think this just confirms the rightness of our original video, doesn’t it? Thank you for posting it.

That was when I was talking about when I said that I made a distinction between the real St. Nick and his secular fat north pole counterpart People should not blur the line, only one of them is real.

Malakias, why is it converts are always the most fanatical? Every Christmas event growing up —with our bishop present mind you, Santa would come and give children gifts

You're guano psychotic.

Are you telling me the flying reindeer are demonic hounds from hell?

All in Christ Jesus for all ages decree nonstop with all their blood, spirits, souls ELISE OYINKROMEINEIFA n all the babies in her are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, she does not practice Voodoo ever in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth u900gtefsfbaiCnYH