I remember a while back seeing a meme earnestly asking richer parents not to go overboard with the gifts they give their child from "Santa". Why? Because it makes the poor kids feel neglected by Santa. "Am I on the naughty list?" "Does Santa like this child more than me?"
Some people, naturally, criticised the meme. "Why should I not be able to spoil my child just because you can't do the same?" From a purely emotional standpoint, I can level with both sides. No parent wants their child to feel left out, but every parent wants to give their child the best gifts. From an objective standpoint, however, I see that this problem could be avoided, even turned into a greater blessing than any Christmas gift, if people would just obey God.
See, the reason children might feel neglected by the magic man from the North Pole is because they have been told about the magic man from the North Pole. They've had it drummed into them that if they're good, Santa will get them many presents, and to make it worse, some of them have actually met him! But they haven't, have they? Santa Claus, as fun as he is, does not exist. And because he does not exist, the qualities he has are also very much fictional. He doesn't give kids presents according to how good they've been, but according to the size of their parents' bank account.
But there was a man whose name eventually evolved into Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas of Myra, a man who has long since died, was known for his charitable actions. Would children feel as left out if they knew this? Would it harm them to be told about him instead? Let's be honest, we don't have a fictional character for their birthdays, yet they are quite happy with the presents they receive then, so they're not exactly going to be heartbroken if they find out it's actually Mommy and Daddy putting those presents under the tree.
The myth of Santa Clause causes greed, envy, and despair. The man, Saint Nicholas, explains why "Santa" blesses rich, naughty kids more than poor, nice ones, and even serves as an example of charity for kids to follow later in their lives. Strengthen your relationship with your children by taking credit for the gifts you give them. Boost their character by telling them about the real Santa Claus. Please your God by telling the truth. This Christmas, let's not spread destructive lies with an impact greater than we usually think about. Let us instead preach the truth to a world that's lost.