Is Santa a Lie? How History, Tradition, and Truth Belong Together

Some Christians are deeply suspicious of Santa. They see him as nothing more than a fictional character, detached from reality, and for that reason, many Christian parents are quick to shatter their children’s illusion. They don’t want their kids believing in a lie. That concern is understandable. But when we treat the Santa tradition in such a strict either–or way, we often miss a valuable opportunity to teach our children about church history, truth, and the role of tradition.

The story of Santa is rooted in a real historical figure: Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century church father and bishop of Myra. He is perhaps most famously remembered for an event at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, where—according to early Christian tradition—he struck the heretic Arius for denying the full divinity of Christ. While that moment captures Nicholas’s zeal for doctrinal truth, it is not what most deeply shaped his legacy.

Saint Nicholas was widely known for his extraordinary generosity. Historical accounts and early traditions tell of his secret gift-giving to the poor, most famously providing dowries for three impoverished daughters, sparing them from slavery. His quiet charity became so well known that Christians began to imitate him, practicing generosity during the Christmas season or on Saint Nicholas Day (December 6). What began as imitation of a faithful Christian life slowly became a shared tradition.

Like all traditions, the story developed over time. As it spread across cultures, additional mythical elements were added—the North Pole, flying reindeer, changing colours and appearances (the earliest depictions of Santa were often green), and other imaginative details. But at its core, the story remains grounded in a real person who performed real acts of love. Carrying forward what is good and faithful in someone’s life is not deception; it is imitation.

The apostle Paul tells the church, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” In that sense, Paul still “lives” through believers who suffer for the gospel, go on mission, and proclaim Christ with boldness. His life continues to bear fruit long after his death. In a similar, though lesser, way, Saint Nicholas lives on through those who carry forward his example of generosity and love for others.

This is the power of tradition. Traditions preserve what we believe to be good, true, and worthy of remembrance. They allow certain events and virtues to endure beyond a single generation, shaping imagination and behaviour over time.

So perhaps instead of simply telling our children that Santa does not exist, we can tell them the fuller and more beautiful story behind the tradition. We can explain that there was a real man who loved Christ, defended truth, and gave generously. We can acknowledge that imaginative elements were added along the way—some helpful, some less so—but that they add colour to a story rooted in reality. In this sense, Santa is real—not as a literal man flying through the sky, but as a historical figure whose goodness has been carried forward through generations.

That kind of explanation gives our children something better than a blunt dismissal. It gives them a richer, truer account—one that honours history, encourages generosity, and teaches them how Christians can wisely engage tradition without fear.

Nino Marques