Santa-Rant
Dec. 12th, 2009 08:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windinthemaplesSomething I've been trying to express adequately to Daniel.
I have a real problem with the Santa Claus myth and how pervasive it is in our society. I imagine any child, no matter their socioeconomic position, is exposed in some way to images and ideas about Santa. The basics are that there is this benevolent man who lives far away and yet knows, intimately, about your deeds and your wishes. If you're good, he rewards you with fantastic toys on Christmas morning. If you're naughty, you get nothing or something worth nothing to you. In a lot of ways, he's God, right?
Only the problem is that it is us parents and caretakers who are playing God, playing Santa, by answering these prayer/wishes. And sometimes, no matter how deserving a child is, their parent cannot afford the burden of being a wish-granter.
So if we are telling our children, collectively, that Santa brings presents to the Good then what happens to the children of the poor? What happens to the children who wrote letters asking for bikes and got, maybe, a box of off-brand crayons from the dollar store? What happens to the children who believe in the magic, believe in their own worthiness and then have to watch as only the rich kids get showered with gifts and amazing surprises? Do their parents have to break it to them early and painfully that we parents are Santa? Does the impact of that good/naughty judgment break something inside of them? Does that put an impossible burden on those who can't afford to play Santa for their children? Does this only reinforce within some children the devastating idea that Santa/God is out there and just not answering their letters/prayers or just not there at all?
This naughty/nice thing is an ugly bit of social pressure we need to do away with. :/ It sends the message that yes naughty=no gifts but conversely, no gifts=naughty.
If wishes were reindeer and teardrops gifts, there would be a Santa and he would have enough in his bag to visit everyone.
I have a real problem with the Santa Claus myth and how pervasive it is in our society. I imagine any child, no matter their socioeconomic position, is exposed in some way to images and ideas about Santa. The basics are that there is this benevolent man who lives far away and yet knows, intimately, about your deeds and your wishes. If you're good, he rewards you with fantastic toys on Christmas morning. If you're naughty, you get nothing or something worth nothing to you. In a lot of ways, he's God, right?
Only the problem is that it is us parents and caretakers who are playing God, playing Santa, by answering these prayer/wishes. And sometimes, no matter how deserving a child is, their parent cannot afford the burden of being a wish-granter.
So if we are telling our children, collectively, that Santa brings presents to the Good then what happens to the children of the poor? What happens to the children who wrote letters asking for bikes and got, maybe, a box of off-brand crayons from the dollar store? What happens to the children who believe in the magic, believe in their own worthiness and then have to watch as only the rich kids get showered with gifts and amazing surprises? Do their parents have to break it to them early and painfully that we parents are Santa? Does the impact of that good/naughty judgment break something inside of them? Does that put an impossible burden on those who can't afford to play Santa for their children? Does this only reinforce within some children the devastating idea that Santa/God is out there and just not answering their letters/prayers or just not there at all?
This naughty/nice thing is an ugly bit of social pressure we need to do away with. :/ It sends the message that yes naughty=no gifts but conversely, no gifts=naughty.
If wishes were reindeer and teardrops gifts, there would be a Santa and he would have enough in his bag to visit everyone.
