Santa Claus: To Believe or Not to Believe?

Santa Claus: that chubby man with the red suit, white beard, and that unmistakable twinkle in his jolly eyes. He has become a Christmas icon, bringing presents to all good children and leaving the naughty a lump of coal. Little children wait up to hear reindeer paws on the roof, cookies waiting by the fireplace near the stockings, and sugarplums dancing in their heads as they drift off to sleep. I am not a little child anymore, but I do still believe in Santa Claus. I believe that he is the spirit that fills everyone with Christmas cheer, that the image of a jolly man in a red suit who gives toys to everyone inspires us to be more selfless and give gifts to other while expecting nothing in return. I must say, the idea of parents telling their children that there is no Santa Claus is one of the saddest things I have ever heard of.

What harm could believing in Santa Clause bring? Since when is it a bad thing to believe in something that gives us hope and happiness? Part of being a child is the magic of being able to believe in things, even if we have very little proof that such a thing exists and no parent should ever take that away.

Perhaps these parents are concerned that their children will grow up believing that there is hope in a world that can be so mean and cruel. Or maybe they don't want their children to live in a fantasy world or they want to prepare them for the disappointment that inevitably comes with growing up. I don't know what reasons could be good enough to steal away a very important part of every childhood. Perhaps people expect their kids to grow up too quickly or they think they have a right to know everything but they need to remember that naivety and innocence provides a sparkle that lights up the monotony of everyday life. I'm sure there are times that all of us wish we could be surrounded by the magic that children seem to find in even the most common things.

And for those of you who don't believe in Santa, he exists. He makes Christmas magical and he is that feeling in the air that fills up our hearts and makes us want to help other people have happier Christmases. So let the magic last as long as possible and this year, let Christmas cheer enable you to believe that there really is a Santa Claus.