I listened to a wonderfully fun story on the radio the other day about Santa and possible scientific explanations for his “magic.” It was nerdy and fantastic as only NPR can be, and my son loved hearing about how Santa employs warp drive to get around the world in his sleigh. As I encouraged his admiration of Santa, I began to think about the practice of Satya (to honor and tell the truth) and how to do this during a season filled with socially acceptable lying.
I have young children. My fellow parents and I tell whoppers about Santa every day at this time of year. With a few exceptions among some parents I know, this doesn’t tilt our moral compass a bit. As children we were subject to the same tales told to us by our own parents, so it seems harmless. Still, it presents obvious inconsistencies with what most of us were taught about lying. I was raised in a Catholic household, and there was no lack of clarity on the rules about lying. Still, my parents supported the story of Santa along with the parents of all my friends. So, I guess it was one of those lies that is harmless, right?
If the church teaches us “thou shall not tell a lie,” how is it that we’re all so comfortable letting tall tales fly about the man in the red suit and his reindeer? I consulted the source of all moral absolutes and checked the Catholic Answer Forum whose apologist offered this convenient rationalization: “It is not lying to create stories for young children. That is basically what is done when parents tell their children of imaginary creatures such as the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. From the beginning of time parents have spun such tales for the entertainment and education of their children. Rather than “lying,” it can be considered “myth-making.”
It may seem innocuous when you just call it a story, but if you think about the power of myth, semi-religious superstition and story-telling in a culture, the question gets more juicy. Just looking at over 200 responses to a recent article in the NYTimes on traditional faiths, fantasy and mythology hints at the nerve that is touched when we are called out on our comfort level with what the columnist called “Mr. Potato Head Spirituality.” The columnist was cynically pointing out that many Americans are perfectly happy with cafeteria-style buffet of belief in our lives. To me, I do not view this cynically, rather I think this this reflects our strength as a melting-pot society. We are welcoming and easily integrate new beliefs into our own lexicon. This is a good thing!
Still, we should not be feckless and ignore the fact that our shared cultural stories carry great power. Are we wasting an opportunity by making Santa and the Tooth Fairy our greatest myths? I would like to think we’re capable of something a bit greater when you consider the universality of other great myths created by humans throughout history.
Magical realism was one of my favorite styles of literature. I like Santa because it evokes the same feeling; that magic can happen all around us. This story helps me reconnect with my own childhood. While I can certainly continue to seek better ways to help bring wonder and imagination to my family’s lives, I will tell my sons about Santa in the absence of another idea. I like Santa precisely because it’s the one time of year when others are conspiring to promote magic. If I chose another symbolic story to evoke fantasy and hope in daily life, I might not find such willing and visible support of the idea all around me.
So, on Dasher, Dancer, Prancer…well, you know the rest. Happy Holidays. May there be magic in the light, in the song, in the trees, in the snow, in the faces of family and friends this season. And wherever else you may find it, Santa included.
