Santa Gets Too Much Credit

I don’t know why people think Santa is so important to Christmas. After all, what family do you know in real life where the man of the house is the driving force responsible for making Christmas happen? I can’t think of many. I am sure Mrs. Claus carries the lion’s share of the responsibility of creating Christmas.

I know this because the bulk of the work for Christmas requires skills that come more naturally to women than men—like spending massive sums of money, manipulating unwieldy pieces of wrapping paper, and correctly spelling the names on the gift list. Pulling off the perfect Christmas requires understanding the nuances of giblet gravy, an ability to whip up an angel costume in thirty minutes, and a mastery of the perfect pie crust.

You can’t convince me that Mrs. Claus is not the unsung hero. Don’t tell me she is not behind the scenes, coaching her husband every step of the way. I hear her peering over his shoulder as he makes the gift list: “ Santa, dear, don’t even think about giving that new garage opener to newlywed Mrs. Jones. She is going to be much happier with the perfume. Trust me.

I can see her following him to the sled with last-minute instructions. “Did you remember the list and your wallet?” I can hear her coaching her husband as he gets dressed on Christmas Eve; “ I don’t care if anyone sees you are not; the black socks and baseball cap are tacky. Wear something else. And don’t try to tell me your red suit is dirty because I picked it up from the cleaners this morning.

It is not that men and children don’t help with the planning, shopping, and decorating, but if women were removed from the picture, Christmas dinners would include tater tots, and two out of three gifts would come from Home Depot.

All of this makes me think of another woman for whom Christmas was a labor of love in a very real sense of the word. She was a woman who held Christmas in her arms. as he slept. So. now would be a good time to remember that Santa Claus does not make Christmas; God did- through Mary.

So, one of my goals is to celebrate Christmas the way Mary did; by embracing the person called Christ. Well. that …. and staying away from the Bath and Body store on weekends.

God Bless Everyone

Schar Ward