I picked up a great book at Hobby Lobby tonight. It's called "A Special Place for Santa." It talks about the origins of "Santa" and takes us back to the day of St. Nicholas.
In the book Santa is sad because people think the holiday is about him and have forgotten about the birth of Jesus. Santa shows up at a church where there is a live size nativity to leave a gift for baby Jesus and he is crying. Santa hears a voice (God) who reminds him of the origins of St. Nicholas, the gifts of charity and how St. Nicholas evolved into the commercial form of Santa.
I even learned that "Kris Kringle" actually means Christ Child!!!!
It's a great book for teaching kids that Santa and Jesus can exist together. They do not have to be mutually exclusive.
A forward by Pat Boone talks about the image of the Santa kneeling in front of the manger scene with Jesus. It is an image I love. The same image that is on the front of the book. The back of the book talks about the creation of this image, and I quote.
"...in a way that connotes their proper relationship - the secular subservient to the sacred...."
What a concept!
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