Ho Ho Ho! It's Santa Claus Once Again
The Santa Claus tradition is the most endearing tradition of all time. It is carefully nurtured and cept alive by generations of parents to live joy to millions of children the world ver. But a recent report warns that hild's trust in his parents may be unermined by the Santa 'lie'. According it, children would reason that if arents lied about something as special and magicalas Santa how could they be elied upon to be guardians of wisdom and truth? There port quotes psycholoist, Christopher Boyle, University of weter, who questions the 'morality of naking children believe in such myths'. Although the original Christmas story sfocused on Jesus Christ, the child born a manger in Bethlehem, the emphasis as long shifted away. Today's Christmas as as its pivotal figure, Santa Claus, Saint Ticholas or Father Christmas. He has become the secular representation of Christmas. He is generally depicted as rotund,jolly and generous with white hair and a white beard,wearing a fur-trimmed red coat and trousers with a black belt and boots. He carries a heavy bag on his shoulders and comes on a sleigh driven by reindeers, the chief of whom is the red-nosed Rudolf. He brings gifts to children, who have been 'good' through the year, on Christmas Eve night The recent discussion on Santa is partof a longexisting controversy. Objections by some psychologists to the Santa Claus tradition are based on their argument that it is unethical for parents to 'lie'to children without good cause. The Calvinists and Puritans, not believing in lavish celebrations, disliked the idea of Santa as wellas Christmas in general. In the last century also a number of Chris tian denominations had concerns about Santa Claus.The argument forwarded was that the original St Nicholas gave only to the needy while the new Santa was all about conspicuous consumption. Reverend Paul Nedergaard, a clergyman from Denmark, in 1958 decla red Santa to be a pagan 'goblin'. For all the irrationality of the 'Christmas lie' and the Santa legend, is it really prudent to be a hard hearted rationalist and deprive children of one of the mainjoys of their childhood? Many of us would remember our own early days when we would aspire to be good through the year, send a wish list of toys to Santa, tie our stockings and wait expectantly for Christmas morning. A prized memory of those days is the screams of pure glee at discovering Santa's gifts. And even when we grew up and knew better we were grateful to oparents, rather than a supernatural stranger from the skies, for the Christmas gifts we received. As all-knowing elders we would conspirkeep the secret from younger siblings An excellent buttress to the Santatradition is the open letter the editor the New York 'Sun' wrote in responseone received from a young skeptic: Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe infairie Nobody sees Santa Claus But this is no sign that there is no Sar Claus. The most real things inthe world are those that neither children nor men can sSanta Claus! Thank God he lives and livesforeverA1,000 years from now, nay10,000yerfrom now He will continue to make glad the heaof childhood.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Indira Baptista Gupta views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Indira Baptista Gupta and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Ho Ho Ho! It's Santa Claus Once Again
The Santa Claus tradition is the most endearing tradition of all time. It is carefully nurtured and cept alive by generations of parents to live joy to millions of children the world ver. But a recent report warns that hild's trust in his parents may be unermined by the Santa 'lie'. According it, children would reason that if arents lied about something as special and magicalas Santa how could they be elied upon to be guardians of wisdom and truth? There port quotes psycholoist, Christopher Boyle, University of weter, who questions the 'morality of naking children believe in such myths'. Although the original Christmas story sfocused on Jesus Christ, the child born a manger in Bethlehem, the emphasis as long shifted away. Today's Christmas as as its pivotal figure, Santa Claus, Saint Ticholas or Father Christmas. He has become the secular representation of Christmas. He is generally depicted as rotund,jolly and generous with white hair and a white beard,wearing a fur-trimmed red coat and trousers with a black belt and boots. He carries a heavy bag on his shoulders and comes on a sleigh driven by reindeers, the chief of whom is the red-nosed Rudolf. He brings gifts to children, who have been 'good' through the year, on Christmas Eve night The recent discussion on Santa is partof a longexisting controversy. Objections by some psychologists to the Santa Claus tradition are based on their argument that it is unethical for parents to 'lie'to children without good cause. The Calvinists and Puritans, not believing in lavish celebrations, disliked the idea of Santa as wellas Christmas in general. In the last century also a number of Chris tian denominations had concerns about Santa Claus.The argument forwarded was that the original St Nicholas gave only to the needy while the new Santa was all about conspicuous consumption. Reverend Paul Nedergaard, a clergyman from Denmark, in 1958 decla red Santa to be a pagan 'goblin'. For all the irrationality of the 'Christmas lie' and the Santa legend, is it really prudent to be a hard hearted rationalist and deprive children of one of the mainjoys of their childhood? Many of us would remember our own early days when we would aspire to be good through the year, send a wish list of toys to Santa, tie our stockings and wait expectantly for Christmas morning. A prized memory of those days is the screams of pure glee at discovering Santa's gifts. And even when we grew up and knew better we were grateful to oparents, rather than a supernatural stranger from the skies, for the Christmas gifts we received. As all-knowing elders we would conspirkeep the secret from younger siblings An excellent buttress to the Santatradition is the open letter the editor the New York 'Sun' wrote in responseone received from a young skeptic: Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe infairie Nobody sees Santa Claus But this is no sign that there is no Sar Claus. The most real things inthe world are those that neither children nor men can sSanta Claus! Thank God he lives and livesforeverA1,000 years from now, nay10,000yerfrom now He will continue to make glad the heaof childhood.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Indira Baptista Gupta views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Indira Baptista Gupta and Speaking Tree,Times of India