Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny

[Tonio]

I do think that Santa and the Easter Bunny are causes for confusion when it comes to belief in God.

That's possible, although I think it's mostly affected by how the parents handle the separate issues of religious faith and cultural fantasy. Kids who read Tolkein know that orcs and trolls and dragons don't really exist, but they enjoy the fantasy and the make-believe.

I always thought of Santa and the Easter Bunny as cultural conventions that evolved in America, entirely separate from the religious meanings of the holidays. I know that Christians in other countries have somewhat different cultural conventions for Easter and Christmas, although I'm not an expert on those customs.

 

[pixiegirl]

Good post.

I totally wasn't trying to start an argument. I was just trying to get other opinions on the topic. It just happened that your post about it several days ago got the wheels in my head turning.

 

[itsbob]

Festivus is a nondenominational holiday featured in an episode of Seinfeld, a popular American television sitcom of the 1990s. It was featured on episode number 166 of the show, entitled "The Strike", which first aired on December 18, 1997. Many people, influenced or inspired by Seinfeld, now celebrate, in varying degrees of seriousness, the holiday in real life. The definitive book on the holiday<b> Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin, with a foreword by Jerry Stiller is coming out 26 October 2005.</b>

 

[Tonio]

Festivus is a nondenominational holiday featured in an episode of Seinfeld...

Classic episode. If we celebrated Festivus on the Forum, I predict that Qpid and Dazed&Fallen would lead in the Airing of Grievances and Ken King and Bruzilla would lead in the Feats of Strength.

 

[itsbob]

Theres also a story of the Ravens season in 2000 the coach would not let them say the "p" word Playoffs. so they started referring to the post season/ playoffs as the festivus.. and the super bowl was Festivus MAXIMUS!!

 

[GIjoeKungFUgrip]

you've got to be kidding me

Ok, lets see if I got this right....you lie to your kids to protect them?
So one day (maybe already) they find out you lied to them. What have you taught them? That it is OK to lie....Isn't that just wrong?

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Ok, lets see if I got this right....you lie to your kids to protect them?
So one day (maybe already) they find out you lied to them. What have you taught them? That it is OK to lie....Isn't that just wrong?

Are you talking about lying about drugs or lying about Santa?

 

[Bustem' Down]

Nothing wrong with Santa or the Easter Bunny. The holiday was around before Jesus anyways.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Nothing wrong with Santa or the Easter Bunny. The holiday was around before Jesus anyways.

Oops. You are wrong again.

The most important single source for our modern day version of Santa Claus comes from the Christmas poem A Visit From St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore. Written for his children in 1823, the family poem was later published for the general public and included what became the now famous picture of Santa Claus by Thomas Nast ( see below right ). http://lnstar.com/mall/main-areas/santafaq.htm

St Nicholas reportedly died about 350 AD.

 

[Bustem' Down]

Oops. You are wrong again. St Nicholas reportedly died about 350 AD.

No sorry, I wasn't clear. I know that Santa was created afterwards, I just meant that the current holiday of Christmas was placed on or near an existing pagan holiday that had a lot of the same traditions in order to make it easier to convert people. As far as Santa goes, I see no reason why he cannot be integrated into the holiday, without losing the values and tradition of the Nativity. It's all just on how you raise your kids I guess. (I don't have any so I'm not saying I'm any kind of expert. )

 

[2ndAmendment]

No sorry, I wasn't clear. I know that Santa was created afterwards, I just meant that the current holiday of Christmas was placed on or near an existing pagan holiday that had a lot of the same traditions in order to make it easier to convert people.

Agreed. It is a shame that men claiming to be of God have pulled shams and falsehoods on people in order to accomplish goals other than God's true purpose. Idol worship, crusades, and adopting pagan holidays are just some of the things instituted by men using God as the inspiration to delude people that did or do not read the Bible and know for themselves what it says.

As far as Santa goes, I see no reason why he cannot be integrated into the holiday, without losing the values and tradition of the Nativity. It's all just on how you raise your kids I guess. (I don't have any so I'm not saying I'm any kind of expert. )

I grew up with Santa, Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. I do think the falsehoods helped me to discount and question God when I was in my 20's. I am glad God never gave up on me, and I came back around to loving Him.

 

[Qurious]

A lie is a lie.

Just like a sin is a sin.

There is not one greater than the other.

Gotta love the pagans.

 

[RoseRed]

Gotta love the pagans.

Right on...

 

[Bustem' Down]

A lie is a lie.

Just like a sin is a sin.

There is not one greater than the other.

Gotta love the pagans.

Your right, I've never known a pagan that was bad. except the one who was a whore, and then there was the one who was a male prostitute. The ones that used mind altering drugs........