I've for a long time not been a big Santa Claus fan, but neither have I been a hater. I just knew that Christmas (the holiday, not merely the time of year) wasn't really about Santa, and so all the Santa traditions just seemed like a distraction, even if fun ones. (Who doesn't like a brightly-dressed, jolly beard-man raining the gifts you currently desire down your chimney?) But other than the vague notion that the "real" Santa was some guy, maybe a churchman, from long ago named St. Nicholas who helped poor people, I was ignorant about ol' Kris Kringle (which, by the way, I now know was originally a name for Jesus, not Santa). Since I wanted to be informed on St. Nick when I explained Christmas--both its Christian meaning and its current treatment by Western culture--to my children, I figured I'd find a book to help with the informing. William Bennett's little book--it's about 127 pages, minus 10 or more pages of end-shtuff--is a good, quick overview of Santa history for someone like me who wants to know enough about Santa to explain to his kids and friends the role he gives Santa in Christmas celebration. It's also likely a great place to start for the odd bird who wants to don a scholar's hat and delve deeper into Santa studies.
Bennett's book is divided into three main parts: the life of St. Nicholas, the legends and traditions about him, and a final "how we got here" section discussing the development of the current Santa traditions. In part one, Bennett outlines Nicholas's life, from his childhood in Lycia (in what is now Turkey) to his adult life as a bishop during and after the Great Persecution under Roman Emperor Diocletian. The famous gift-giving of St. Nick was both before his donning of the bishop's robes (he gave all of his possessions and inheritance away to those in need, most famously his anonymous giving to the poor man with three daughters in need of dowry); and after, as he gave of himself to the people of his community. Notably as well, it seems St. Nicholas was present at the Council of Nicea in support of Christ's full deity. Part two is a romp through various legends and traditions about St. Nicholas's exploits, many of which are highly dubious, but most of which are long-beloved by the various cultures that told and retold them. Just about every group claimed him as their patron saint--mariners, merchants, the poor, and many others. In part three, the process that has always puzzled me is described--how, if St. Nick was the benevolent bishop I'd heard he was, he later, for Americans at least, became the North Pole-dwelling, omniscient-of-children gift giver. Santa celebrations having become scant in the States in the early 1800s, energetic New Yorkers in part aiming to encourage solidarity by celebrating Dutch heritage and traditions, resurrected ol' Saint Nicholas. The returned Santa was further shaped by a host of other influences, from the "A Visit From St. Nicholas" poem, to country songs, to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924 and the Coca-Cola ads in the 1930s. This final part of the book likely stands on more solid research, since we undoubtedly have better records of 19th and 20th century American history than of a single bishop from over 17 centuries ago.
I won't say much about Bennett's conclusion, for fear of biasing you and spoiling the book; but I'll just mention a few important (to me) impressions of the book I had, and a final (somewhat vague) thought about his conclusion. (1) It's a well-written, quick read. Curl up on the sofa with a mug of marshmallow-laden hot chocolate and you'll probably finish it in an hour or so. (2) This book demonstrates that the current Santa is not St. Nicholas. He just isn't. That they both gave gifts, is not much of a comparison, either, for the manner and circumstances in which they gave--not to mention the gifts--are quite different. (3) Finally, I think that Bennett's conclusion--the practical takeaway--in his final pages doesn't properly follow from the information given in the book--it sort of fits like a sombrero on a pin-stripe suit (ok, maybe not that bad). Whether the publisher pushed Bennett to alter the ending for fear of putting people off, or whether he really likes sombreros in business meetings I don't know. It's not that the conclusion is bad, though. Some--maybe most--folks will probably agree with all of it.
Overall, though, I'm glad I bought it. (Under $7 on Amazon.) I feel confident that I can explain Santa to my kids during Christmastime. Ok, and maybe I can sound smart at Christmas parties, too.
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