"He was known for his generosity and his goodwill because he was very rich," Rosenthal said. "He literally, by the end of his life, gave away all of his fortune. Many stories talk about the fact that he was so generous that he became known as the 'Gift Giver."'
Church leaders emphasize that Nicholas' generosity was motivated by his Christian faith, that he was following Jesus' command to love others, to help those who are suffering and to do one's good deeds in secret.
I don't have kids yet, but how to talk about Santa Claus to our children, should we be so blessed at some point, is a topic my wife and I have visited on several occasions. She doesn't see any harm in re-creating the magic of Santa Claus, and for the most part I agree. I don't mind the fantasy and fun stories of Santa and his reindeer, but I do want it to be presented with a wink and a smile, not as matter of fact. I want to share and focus more on the story of the real Saint Nick, which brings much more power to the spirit of Christmas, and the reasons each of us should do good for others. I don't see the long term upside of convincing children of a magical denizen of the North Pole that caters to their wants and desires. And of course there is the eventual cold slap of reality when the child finds out (usually not by the parents) that the red-robed one does not exist.
"The problem with Santa Claus as it stands now is that it's a substitute for Christmas — Santa Claus instead of the crèche, instead of the manger, instead of the nativity scene," said Rosenthal. "This man we would find kneeling at the nativity scene saying, 'This is what I'm here to celebrate as well."
Hopefully by slowly transitioning from the fantasy of Santa Claus to the history and inspiration of Saint Nick, children can be allowed to imagine and dream, but also learn how gift-giving is part of keeping the Christ in Christmas.
