Revelation of Santa as a fiction enhances real meaning of Christmas
A North Jersey substitute teacher attracted ridicule and rebuke when she killed Santa Claus.
Well, she did not really end his life but the woman terminated the idea of Father Christmas by telling a group of first graders that Old St. Nicholas is well, a fabrication. Lisa Simek, a mother, posted an angry Facebook message.
“This was Emilia’s class today. A substitute teacher asked the kids which holiday was coming up and when somebody answered “Christmas,” she proceeded to just completely unleash on them:
“She told them Santa isn’t real and parents just buy presents and put them under their tree. She told them reindeer can’t fly and elves are not real- elf on the shelf is just a pretend doll that your parents move around. She did not even stop there: the tooth fairy is not real because mom or dad just sneak into your room in the middle of the night and put money under your pillow, same goes for the Easter bunny. She told them magic does not exist. There is no such thing as magic anything.”
Imagine being six and believing in Santa Claus when someone reveals that it’s really mom and dad delivering gifts, eating a cookie left for him and downing part of the glass of milk. Holy Jesus.
Simek continued, “A grown woman tried to crush our sixyear-old’s spirit, along with the spirits of the other 22 kids in CH’s 1st Grade class. Many of us parents have been doing damage control since the kids get (sic) home from school today, but coming from an adult this is definitely the kind of seed that was planted deep inside of their skeptical, perceptive and inquisitive minds”
The harsh reality produced severe pushback from parents at Cedar Hill School in the Montville Schools District while reports noted that Superintendent René Rovtar the sub, whose identity has not been disclosed, is no longer working in the K-12 district.
NJ.com reported, “Due to the fact that this is a personnel matter, no additional comment will be made on this topic,” Rovtar said in an email.
While this teacher overstepped boundaries to reveal Santa Claus as myth, parents should tell children the truth about this holiday that has yielded to commercialism while kicking Jesus Christ to the curb. Doubtful that such furor would occur if a teacher delivered her opinion on agnosticism or atheism.
While dispensing gifts to loved ones serves as part of the Christmas spirit, most of my friends believe in Christ and acknowledge his birth although even that story’s been fudged. Still, it’s refreshing to change the Kris Kringle conversation to Christ.
U.S. residents have managed to create a Christ of Consumerism as malls, stores and anyone in search of big bucks pimp Jesus out for silver dollars. Judas Iscariot’s got nothing on Sam Walton, Roland Hussey Macy, or Sam Lord and SamTaylor.
The elimination of Santa Claus as a reality sounds refreshing although that revelation should be left to parents. Still, the Internet, friends and siblings can disclose this fabrication at any moment.
A friend noted she was six years old when her older brother disclosed the unreality of Santa. “Oh, and my father gave him a good slap for doing that,” she said.
Do we need Santa to make Christmas special? Of course not. Just being with friends, family and people produces an understanding of the importance of time spent together. Unwrapping gifts delivers an exhilaration but we all notice a depression that occurs once all the presents have been opened.
Pardon my idealism but this feeling of Christmas should last throughout the year. We should hold dear that having food, shelter and experience love matters. Just the gift of another day should give us excitement and inspiration.
Whether one celebrates Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, an override involves spending time together and enjoying each other.
Being seated at a dinner table, snuggled on a sofa with a significant other or accepting an outdoor kiss from a partner whose chilly nose delivers comment, these are the real moments of Christmas.
And music? Andy Williams or Johnny Mathis singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” captures the exhilaration of this season.
So, Santa may have been exposed in Cedar Hill but those parents should make the most of this incident and just be honest. Christmas matters still.
It’s not a Christmas song but James Taylor puts our existence in perspective with “Secret of Life” (is enjoying the passage of time).
Enjoy yourself this holiday season. Make life about love, peace, people, forgiveness, joy, altruism and understanding that existing in the moment offers a precious gift.
That’s why we reference current time as the present.