An earnest academic, writing on the Web site Patheos, recently made the case against Santa Claus. Saint Nick is a multicultural nightmare: “A person shouldn’t have to pander to a white man – sit on his lap and beg, even! – to enjoy the good life. . . . If Santa were a refugee, or a woman of color, or even a plant or animal, I could probably get on board.”
But Saint Nick’s offense is also religious. He is “in direct competition with God, and it seems Santa may have the upper hand.” “They’re both invisible characters that appear from time to time,” Jenell Paris continues, “so how does a Christian parent convince a child that God is really real (especially if you once told the child that Santa was also real)?”
This was never much of a problem in my home. My eldest son from an early age was a Santa skeptic – the Christopher Hitchens of his elementary-school set. Having spied out our Christmas preparations, he delighted in dashing the illusions of other children, including our youngest.
Still, I rise to Santa’s defense.