The attached story tells a tragic tale:) of the end of many of the men in red suits this year because of the recession.

Santa will not be attending many schools and community groups because they cant afford to hire actors.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24748735-1243,00.html

If we likewise click

http://www.av1611.org/othpubls/santa.html

we will see a good, solid christian aspect on the great "Santa deception".

Traditionally Christmas is to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.
Christians all over the world go to church, where they can, and give Glory to their King for bringing them Salvation.

In recent decades, as society became obssessed with personal greed Big Business more and more shifted the focus from Christ over onto the little plump man in the red suit as their big promo of the year.
Now its difficult to find a Christian nativity or Christian references in any of the big shopping complexes.

Big Business has used the "santa vision" to draw society into parting with vast amounts of money in order to fill their Big Businesses pockets.
Little of that money ever filters down into charities... or the Christian churches who support needy people.
They used the "Santa deception" to seduce many parents into short-term poverty at this time of year; and to indoctrinate a new generation of children each year into the 'buying system'.

Is it true that today's depiction of Santa Claus in a bright red suit with snow white beard was an invention by Coca-Cola?

Good one, Gibo - particularly since I've been asked to be Santa again this year for the local pub Xmas fair. I really should have a haircut and beard trim, not to mention lose some weight...

However, I have to say that it's quite fun being an iconic "Christian" symbol for a day! The irony is delicious, and it's good fun giving presents out to the kiddies while they pretend they don't know who I am.

Steel Mann - the answer to your question is "No", fascinating urban myth though it is.

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

aAAh CJ... so it's not only 'Christians' who have their myths :)

(CC Pericles.)

Now.. a thinking person would ask here.. "how many other secular myths are at work in deceiving people about the true nature of the Lord Jesus, and the Church" ?

Hmmmmmm....wanders off pondering....

Dear Gibo,

In our house - we follow tradition.

As I wrote in my thread of "Christmas Stories,"
The feast of Christmas is always preceded by
four weeks of Advent, a period of "fasting and
contemplation."

"Kucios," (Lithuanian), Christmas Eve, is the last
day of fasting, followed by sumptuous feasting.

No less than 12 dishes must be served at this special
Christmas Eve meal, beginning with the recitation of
Grace and the breaking of a special unleavened wafer,
called "Plotkele." This wafer, blessed by the parish
priest, is shared by all at the table, signifiying a
spirit of unity.

After the evening meal we then
attend Midnight Mass at our parish church.
It's a quiet, beautiful, and meaningful
way to end the night and celebrate the spirit
that Christmas is.

Christmas Day is the traditional lunch of turkey,
ham, et cetera, with friends and family. Shared
in the spirit of giving.

I usually cook for both events, Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day. As I have elderly parents.

Santa is a part of this traditional celebration, of
course, but only a part. There are so many pieces
that make up the kaleidoscope of Christmas for our
family - which is why its so special, and will remain
so, as all these traditions are being passed on to
our children.

CJ
Thanks I didn't know that. interesting.

I'm wary of bringing this up as it's likely to provoke a scriptural lecture from boaz, but hell, it's just too delicious to let slide.

You guys are all aware, that Jesus sure as hell wasn't born on the 25th of December, and Christmas Day has as many pagan roots as Christian, right?

http://www.writespirit.net/ad/greatest_historical_myths

"2. Jesus was born on December 25

Christmas is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there is no evidence whatsoever, biblical or otherwise, that He was actually born on that day. Nor is there anything to suggest that He was born in a manger, or that there were three wise men (although, as any nativity play will remind you, three gifts were mentioned). There are differing views as to why December 25 was chosen as Christmas day, but one of the most interesting is that the day was already celebrated by followers of Mithras, the central god of a Hellenistic cult that developed in the Eastern Mediterranean around 100 BC. The followers of this faith believed that Mithras was born of a virgin on 25 December, and that his birth was attended by shepherds..."

Mmm. I know when I'm slicing into that Christian ham, I'll enjoy the taste of that delightfully rich pagan history.

TRTL,
I think it was Constantine when he made christianity the state religion he simple renamed the festival days from Pagan to ChristianEverybody loves their feast days... Who said roman emperors weren't cynical politicians.

Fellow Scroogians
20 days to go to mount my WW2 ackack gun on the roof in anticipation of getting the trouble maker this year. I say that each year. Perhaps its my lights that say "Christmas Bah Humbug" that tips him off. >:-/
At 7 he gave me Y fronts instead of a bike! and our native houseboi starched them too(mumble grumble)!

Dear Gibo,

Before I leave this thread I've got something
that I wrote for my children a few years ago.
I don't know the ages of your kids, but anyway,
I want to share this with you...

The Brightest Star.

"Little Astra was a star,
That could be seen from near and far.
She was a star that shone so bright,
Way up in the sky at night.

She sparkled brighter then the others,
All her sister stars and brothers.
They were jealous of her light,
Teasing her mercilessly each night.

'You may illustriously gleam,
But you're just a speck,
And can't be seen.'

'That's just not true, as you well know,
My radiance gives the sky its glow.'

'A ball of gas, that's all you are,
No one can see you from afar.'

'Why do you tease me,
Oh can't you see,
The beautiful light shining out of me?'

They laughed and jeered and were unfair,
Pretending not to give a care.

Then one night, their Lord, The Father,
Selected Astra, from all the others.

'Little Astra, I need your light,
To guide three kings for Me tonight.
To show the way for three wise men,
To a stable in Bethlehem.'

The three wise men knew straight away,
To follow Astra without delay.
In the clear and dark night sky,
They saw her twinkling up on high.

They followed her starlight beaming bright,
As she guided them that night.

They followed her, because they knew,
That before the night was through,
An infant Saviour, would be born,
Bringing with Him A New Dawn.
Of Joy and Peace, Goodwill on Earth,
The world would celebrate His Birth.

Little Astra shining bright,
Became famous on that night.
Because of her guidance to those wise men,
She was given the name, 'Star-of-Bethlehem!'"

cont'd ...

"Little Astra, you now can see,
On top of any Christmas tree.
She is a symbol of that night,
When her starlight shone so very bright.
To show the way for three wise men,
To that stable in Bethlehem,
Where the Christ child, with His Birth,
Brought everlasting joy to earth.

So when you decorate your tree,
It's Astra's image you will see.
A special image burning bright,
Reminding us of that special night.

Here is something to remember,
When it's Christmas in December.
The stars in the sky that radiate light,
Are ours to enjoy each moonlit night.

The sun is a star, I bet you didn't know,
That sunlight reflected, gives the moon its glow.
Our home, this earth is a magical place,
Whirling 'round the sun, in outer space.
We are important, you and I,
Even though we don't twinkle in the sky.
We are important, as long as we know,
It's the goodness within us, that makes us glow!"

Grace and Peace Gibo to you and yours...
All The Best,

TRTL,
December 25th is the time of the Solstice and has been celebrated in some way by many cultures for millenia, just as the Spring Solstice falls at Easter time and was/is a fertility festival.
Yule is another pagan festival that overlaps Christmas and it's customs.

If Australia was to become a Republic, there would be some who would resist on the basis that we would lose the Queen's Birthday Holiday.
Keep the holiday and just call it something else and the problem goes away.

Satan clause and the easter[estor?]bunny
quite comfortably hide the spiriually higher call of the christ to love god and love neighbour.

clearly jesus died at or near the correct celibration?[its timing should however be syncronised with the timming of his tribe,we KNOW he died the day before passover,and celibrating the day he died to the flesh and was reborn into spirit on any other day is an absurdity

easter clearly reflects the rebirth[but its time is not based on spiritual time,and the commercial symbology neatly obscures the proof he delivered[ie not a judgment day at times end]a total absurdity,but a life revieuw at physical death

but the date of his birth is in this dispute[i favour the timming to be the jewish new year[a logical time to have a census]but instead we have this faulse god replacement figure[satan clause],

that adults realise is a fiction[but all the more dangerouse because satan claws in the supermarkets wear faulse beards,thus is easilly disproven

naturally children will assimulate the fake santa[into a fake saviour],reasoning as the 2 de link pointed out if santa[satan]isnt real then jesus musnt be either[lol]

,but christs own dont even seem to be bothered correcting the clear error[oh ye loyal servants[not];

so much was given you yet you have not even gotten your lords birthday correct[thus satan who's realm this truelly is , puts on his fake beard[fake honour]for a full beard is honerable ammoung jesus tribe.

then the fat slob[=oh ye serphant of folly ,and gluttony] reserects his [dead]tree whoreship ,coated with baubles in the depth of winter and brings the clear lie to the inocent ,

that they too in time lie to their own children and recieve from them a material'wish list'of toys made in privatised prisons[and lead paint][and inform their own grandfathers that santsa is real but jesus isnt]

ho ho ho ho ho ho ho

who ho ho
do you chose to honour?
ho hum

here hear he doth come

you shall hear the cloven hoof on the roof
how you know its not the hoof of his enslaved rein deer

Every year this bickering over who "owns" Xmas comes along; every year people fulminate over Xmas becoming commercialised; every year priest and people preach against the paganistic roots of this celebration.

Even educated Christians to-day realise that there was no census. The Romans didn't get to take over most of the known world by being fools. Could you imagine the uproar in Australia if, every year at census time, we all had to go back to our original place of birth? And the further uproar if, having duly gone trotting off to England, Europe, Dubbo or Dubai, the Government decided not to record the results anywhere? The Romans, who were more anal than our Government about keeping records, never, anywhere, recorded a census at this time or place - though they recorded quite minor ones for tin-pot places no-one has ever heard of.

The colours of Xmas - red and green - were the colours of the holly and holly berries, the sacred misletoe was revered. The pagan "Green man" (carved into countless Churches all over Europe) always visited, the twelve days of Yule ending Jan.6 when the Lord of Misrule reigned, were incorporated into Christian celebrations for centuries with the sanction of Holy Mother Church.

What on earth does it matter? You choose to celebrate because of one thing, I for another. The important thing I consider is that, pagan or Christian, this is traditionally a time of goodwill, hospitality, friendship and family. Whatever its roots, we desperately need a period where such things are celebrated in our lives, every year.

Some people choose to bust the budget and buy tacky gimgracks, others to do good deeds, others to sing and feast, others to get drunk.However we exercise our free will to celebrate, every time we wish a stranger Merry Xmas or Compliments of the Season we are passing on good will to our fellow-beings.

In my opinion Xmas - as it has done for thousands of years - rocks!

Very well said, Romany.

Hi Poly:
"aAAh CJ... so it's not only 'Christians' who have their myths :)"

Indeed, I do love myths. And I took pleasure in fooling my kids into believing that Santa existed (along with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy).

But as a parent I knew that it was time to fess up and quit the fairy tales when the children were about six and started having doubts and asked a zillion questions, such as,
"Why doesn't Santa just give everything to the children in poor countries?" (after seeing World Vision ads)
or
"Bunnies don't have fingers, how can they paint eggs?"

My daughter, who's over two years older than my son, LOVED being part of the game. The wiser, older sister, tricking the younger brother into believing in Santa- it was all just so sweet.

How old were your children when you fessed up about the non-evidence of God's existence?

I sometimes wonder what it would be like if humanity did achieve enough scientific knowledge to categorically prove the missing link, the accuracy of evolution and gave defining answers to the origin of man, life on earth and the universe.

I rather suspect many simply wouldn't listen.

Thanks guys/gals.
I appreciated all of your comments and your poem Foxy.
Just wanted to get across the 'great santa deception' from a Bible point of view:)

Once again, let's all celebrate the message of anti-materialism, poverty and sacrifice in a massive orgy of gluttony, greed and avarice.

Any other time of the year, a suspicious looking man in a funny suit giving kiddies sweets to sit on his knee would be treated rather differently.

We'll do it all again soon enough but next time with chocolate eggs and a magical invisible rabbit.