Does Santa have to have a beard?
This evening while reading God Gave Us Christmas, Nathan informed me:
Mama, Santa isn't really real. He's just people dressed up like him.
We don't make a big deal about Santa, Tim and I don't give presents "from Santa", any talk about gifts from Santa quickly gets redirected to gifts that can fit in a Christmas stocking, Nathan has seen the Veggies Tales St. Nicholas movie multiple times, but I guess since the world expects little kids who celebrate Christmas to believe in Santa and we haven't been outright against him, I just assumed Nathan would believe in Santa too and that some day, a number of years from now, we'd be dancing around the issue and trying to phase him out. Instead the conversation went something like this:
Mama, Santa isn't really real. He's just people dressed up like him.
Really?
Yah.
Is that okay?
Yah.
So why do you think people dress up like Santa?
To remind us of Santa because he reminds us that God loves us.
Do you remember who the first Santa was?
No.
Saint Nicholas.
Oh yah. He gave people presents and helped people.
So do you still want to visit Santa and take a picture with him?
Yah.
And will you ask him for something for Christmas?
I don't know... Mama, does Santa have to have a beard?
And there you have it.