All About Santa and His Importance in Our Lives

Image from Pexels

Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy. - Edwin Osgood Grover

 *Christmas Video #2 included
What's so special about Christmas that we wait for it the whole year round and when it finally comes there is that something surreal and magical that we can't exactly explain?

Christmas, as we all know, is the time of the birth of the baby Jesus Christ. That is one of the main reason that Christmas time is special. We celebrate the birth of Christ and this brings hope and joy in our hearts.

There is also one other person that is always associated with Christmas and this is our dear Santa Claus. You probably can't help yourself and belt out "You better watch out, you better not cry. Better not pout, I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town". And indeed Santa Claus is coming to town! Every young boy and girl have the Christmas list of their Christmas wishes in their tiny hands.

Image from Pexels

Who is Santa Claus? The Real Santa Claus. Santa Claus or St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the 4th century in Myra in Asia Minor, now known as the country Turkey. He came from a wealthy family but his parents died when he was young. He used all his inheritance in helping the poor, the needy and the suffering. Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith. He was imprisoned and later on was released. He died December 6 A.D. and people from all walks of life recalled his kindness, generosity and love for the poor and needy people. From, thereon, December 6 was known as St. Nicholas day.

There is another persona, Santa Claus is known for and is more popular with people of all ages. This is Santa Claus from the North Pole. Santa Claus together with Mrs Claus, live in the North Pole where they make toys to be delivered to children on Christmas eve. With the help of Santa's 8 reindeers, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzer, Santa pulls a sleigh through the night to be able to make it in time on Christmas Eve and deliver all the gifts for the kids.

Creative Common license John Santa at the North Pole, Some Rights Reserved, taken on November 27, 2010, https://www.flickr.com/photos/puzzler4879/5230953775/in/photolist

Kids would try to keep wide awake to catch who the real Santa is! Their older siblings would spoil all the fun and blurt out that Daddy and Mommy are the real Santas. But to this day and age, people keep to this tradition worldwide, children of all ages would troop to the Christmas tree on Christmas eve and peek at the bottom of the tree to see their gifts. So excited to see if Santa had brought the gift they wished, for they had been good or tried to be good whole year round. The joy in the children's eyes as they tore the gift wrappers and keep agog is just priceless. It warms the hearts of the adults because we had been young kids too, we were like them, cannot keep to our seats, jumping and shouting with happiness as we unwrapped our gifts. We say, thanks Mommy, thanks Daddy, thanks Santa.

But there is the other side of the fence, not all kids are happy and busy with their gifts. There are kids, who have no new clothes to wear, no shoes or slippers on their feet, either they're sleeping off the night curled on some dirty cold streets or going from one person to another with their palms stretched out asking for some coins. These kids are living on the streets and Christmas eve is just another ordinary day to them, another day of climbing jeeps and buses to ask for alms. They have with them envelopes either tattered or new where people can insert their coins. They rode on the jeeps and buses, singing their own Christmas carols. The world is not fair and this is the ugly truth, not all children are safe, warm and with their bellies full on Christmas day.

This brings us to introspection, dwell on what is the true meaning of Christmas. It is giving and sharing. It is the extension of compassion to our less needy brothers and sisters. While, it is true we cannot help each and every street children because these can only be done through concerted efforts of the government, community and society, as an individual, we can do something. 

Action is needed.

I know giving of alms is frowned about because it is tolerating these kids to stay on the streets but what can we do to completely eradicate poverty. We cannot. But we can help these kids, maybe it is only a temporary thing but these kids have the right to not be still and jump and shout for joy as they open their Christmas gifts. Let us open our hearts and pockets to them. I know it is not permanent but can't they be happy even for a day. 

The true meaning of Christmas is the spirit of St. Nicholas, who shared his wealth to the people who are poor, needy and suffering.

Let's sing Merry Christmas and a happy holiday... and may the spirit of Christmas be always in our heart. - Christmas in our Heart by Jose Mari Chan 

If you had learned something from this post, you can like and share it or share your thoughts. If you want to be notified once a new blog is up, hit subscribe found at the top of this post.

Middle life is beautiful.

Till next time. God bless.