Yes indeed, Santa is real. I’ve always believed in him. Someone on Facebook recently posed that question, and I responded with an abbreviated version of the proof.
If you look at the legend of Santa Claus as allegory, it’s fairly easy to unravel the mystery.
Santa Claus is a spirit. The children’s ancient wondrous tale unpacks to an irrefutable truth of his existence.
Let’s consult the legend first. A kindly ageless jolly gentleman who lives at the north pole departs on Christmas eve and travels the world over bringing gifts to every household that believes. He lands on the roof of the houses, brings his load of gifts down the chimney, and sets them under the tree.
Then he departs to the next home. I’ll set aside the laying a finger on his nose part, as that is a modern modification to the original tale, probably to accentuate the magic of Christmas but conjures more nefarious reasoning in modern times.
Sometimes, children lay out cookies and milk for Santa, and occasionally vegetables for the reindeer (and probably Santa too from the more nutritionally-minded families; Santa is rather portly as you know).
Simple enough, right? So now let’s unpack the allegory, what the legend really represents.
Santa lives at the north pole, supposedly. The top of the world, normally inaccessible in this life. A metaphor for heaven.
Santa travelling throughout the world on Christmas eve represents the tidings of great joy brought to the earth by the angels.
He lands on every believer’s homestead, not in the driveway but on the roof. When he descends the chimney to gain entry to the home is perhaps the most interesting metaphor. We hear the story of the good news (our sensory receptors). It enters our head and then travels down the chimney to the home. The hearth of a home, or “home is where the heart is.” When we receive it in our hearts, we then receive the abundance of gifts in our lives.
The gifts of cookies, milk, and veggies is analogous to gold, frankincense and myrrh. An offering.
Santa is jolly, the embodiment of rapturous joy. A simplification of the real story so as to capture the imagination of children. The focus these days has been on the reception of the physical gifts, but that’s okay. As grow older and wiser we see through to the true meaning of his legend, and perpetuate the story.
Santa Claus absolutely is real, the spirit of love, laughter, joy and giving. And he is very much alive.
Merry Christmastime everyone, may the blessings of Santa be upon you and your families.