Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
THE SANTA CLAUS MYTH.
How 1t Should He Managed With
Children.

From the School Journal.
The management Of the Santa Claus
myth, beautiful as 1t Is. and taught as
much for the children's pleasure as Tor
that Of the adults who keep it up, is often
such as to cause moral disturbance when 1t
is uniearned as a fact. Mamma said
there was a Santa Claus. and now know
there isn't any. l don't believe there's
any God, either" This is the just pun
ishment of devout parents who make I'M
true statements to their children. The bad
management of this myth is due to a lack
Of understanding of the nature Of myth In
general and of human history.
In primitive days, when mysteries arose.
man had to solve them for himself. He
had no misleading trusted guardian at
hand to give him false explanations. He
had no fallen angel to contemn when ex-
plantations pr )ved false. If he encouraged
bright fictions of his own imagination, only
to resign them later with pain he had
none to tell him what was not true.
The Santa Claus myth is of d piece with
the special providence idea, which Is prob
ably nearly as-old as the human magma
tiCn itself. The very young child nnd5
what he wants within his reach and &C
cepts II as windfall. Later. the Ques-
ticn, How did it come thSre?' arises, and
the mystery is deepened by the suggestion
from mamma, Il wonder il Santa Claus
could have put 1t there? or the statement
from another child. santa Claus brought
it," The Il wonder" from mamma leaves
her non-committal and does no harm. The
confident statement from the child is made
in honest belief and does no harm. The
romance liyes a year. and Santa Claus Is
expected again. He Is talked about as a
mysterious, semi-earthly parsonage, of
sUperhuman powers and universal loves
Pictures show what he looks like. and his
rubicund visage expresses the happiness
b. hay. trf1-St, Dat
are pictures of Jack Frost. too, and he is
only the wind. Santa Claus brings the
Christmas tree and Jack Frost the fairy
lace upon the window pane. So the chill
dren say-and the adults join in the talk
ard lerd themselves to the wonderful tale
but with an air CT mystery that at the
same time enhances 1t and leaves them
free to accept and countenance any more
likely theory that may subsequently offer.
If they are wise, they waive explana-
items. avoid saying Santa Claus is a man
and looks like that" and so manage the
whole question that the worst charge
will be. You knew 1t all the time!' To
which reply can be made. Yes. dear but
1t wasn't time for you to know. Mamma
wanted you to have your dream out be-
cause it was a pleasant one. You enjoyed
1t, and so does baby brother. Do not spoil
his dream. He will learn in time who old
Boreas Is. and what the pictures Of Father
Time with his scythe are meant to repre-
dow pane and Jack Frost Is only the cold
that turns 1t into ice crystals, and that
Santa Claus Is the happy myth that stands
for the love of parents and friends at
Christmas time. But 1t Is too soon to teach
him these things I ow. Let him find them
out for himself. by thinking. as you did,
and then he will understand them better"
Thus the question. "Who Is Santa CLAUSE"
may introduce the whole noble subject Of
mythology and acquaint the child, through
his own vivid experiences, with those of
primitive man, who had a feebler start in
thought and less wealth of intelligent sug-
gestiOn about him, and who, therefore, did
not get on as fast. Thus, too, 1t may lead
through higher speculations. to the event.
full question. "Who is God?" and to loftier
conceptions than the concrete images cher
ished by those crude minds that gave to
the Infinite all the limitations Of person
ality.
1t would have been cram to tell the child
that Santa Claus was a man and came
down the chimney. 1t would have been
cram to explain the myth too early. Each
day hath its own understanding. Hide not
the facts. but leave the understanding to
work upon them. The facts are that the
gifts are there, and the air Is burdened
with festivity. Perhaps the Jingle of
sleighbells was heard in the night. Per-
children say he comes The grown folks
don't seem to know how the presents came
unless he brought them. 1t is a mystery
which the child himself Is willing to pro-
long: a problem in which the scientific I'M
agination, seeking realities, consents to be
held in check by the romantic imagination.
seeking poetic fctions. Let 1t remain until
the understanding acquires strength to
gently and lovingly dispose Of it.