If you ask any child whether they believe in Santa Claus, or any adult if they think there is a Santa Claus, you're sure to get a story involving the words "believe" "Christmas" and "my parents." Now, if you were to ask me if I ever believed in a Santa Claus, the answer would be "no, but I do believe in Santa Claus." Never once has this lead to anything less than the word "huh." Growing up, my parents never told me to believe in the guy, but I do believe in Santa Claus. Yes. At first glance, this is a confusing statement, so perhaps it is time I clear the air, on the whole, in the Santa Claus matter, and why I believe.

First off, the main confusion from saying I believe is no one could possibly guess which Santa I am referring to. There are several different versions of Santa Claus, and I do not mean just around the world. In the USA alone we have countless unique versions of this guy. There's a different one on every street corner, so many stories about his origins and our own songs don't even agree on what makes Santa, Santa. For example in "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (1934) the lyrics are, "He's making a list, and checking it twice; gonna find out who's naughty and nice," but about ten years later in "Here Comes Santa Claus" (1947) the lyrics are, "he doesn't care if you're a rich or poor boy, he loves you just the same. Santa knows that we're God's children, that makes everything right" (1947). So, which is it? Is the only way I can get presents if I have been good all year, or does Santa Claus know I'm a child of God and love me enough to give me gifts anyway?

Secondly, our movies do not agree on how to portray Santa either. They keep bouncing back and forth between making Santa a nice guy who simply finds joy in giving the world presents, and making him a faith monger who desperately needs the children of the world to believe in him. Compare the Kris Kringle from the first "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) to the Kris Kringle from the 1994 reboot. In the 1947 version, Kris says, "Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it," which illustrates this man is one who cares deeply about spreading the hope and joy that comes on Christmas day. In the 1994 reboot, Kris says, "If I could make you believe, then there would be some hope for me. If not, well, I'm finished," which shows that he cares if people believe in him, and how their belief in him give him hope. It also implies that if people do not believe in Santa, then all hope is lost.

This concept of 'you have to believe in Santa or else' is also prevalent in "Elf" (2003) where Santa's sleigh has a "Clausometer" that measures how many people believe in him, and the climax of the film centers around the sleigh needing the faith of New Yorkers in order for it to fly. In "The Polar Express" (2004) there's a kid, who might have straight up died if he didn't force himself to believe and make that little sleigh bell ring. (Watch that scene. It looks like the kid's about to have a stroke.) This aspect of 'believe or else' is probably illustrated the strongest in "The Santa Clause" (1994), during one of the first conversations between Scott Calvin, the new Santa, and Bernard, a thousand-year-old elf. Scott tells Bernard, "What if I don't buy any of this Santa Clause thing? What if I choose not to believe it?" A dead silence falls over Santa's workshop. Bernard then replies, "Then there would be millions of disappointed children around the world. You see, children hold the spirit of Christmas within their hearts. You don't wanna be responsible for killing the spirit of Christmas, now would you?" If the spirit of Christmas only depends on the beliefs of children and any old schmuck who just so happens to put on a red coat and some extremely wide pants, then Christmas is bound to die, eventually. It seems that every year all hope is lost, but not if the children find a way to believe in the big guy in a red suit before the night of December 24th. Think about it. 364 out of the 365 days of the year, anyone's belief in a Santa Claus does not matter.

So, why on Earth do I believe in Santa Claus, even after all of the confusion and Christmas threatening chaos that seems to go along with such a statement? The answer is quite simple. Santa Claus is the spirit of Christmas. He is an embodiment of "peace on Earth, goodwill towards men" (Luke 2:14). Santa Claus is a representation of what a life full of charitable giving, joy to the world, and hope for all nations can look like (in a greatly hyperbolized form). More or less, the Santa Claus I believe in, the Spirit of Christmas, is an alive and well-feeling everyone gets in their hearts around December 25th, and something they should strive to keep all year long. It's not just a person; it is a frame of mind. For me, the spirit of Christmas, Santa Claus, is the hope the whole world received on the first Christmas, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. This year I'm going to do what I do every year, honor His birthday and make sure to keep the spirit of hope and Christmas present in my heart and spread it to the hearts of those I meet. Merry Christmas Everyone!