Santa For Dads

December 3, 2009

Got a favorite winter holiday tradition?

Why We Should Honor The Real Claus, But Not On Christmas

This Sunday, December 6, Girl Child will wake up to find a few small gifts in a stocking hung up the night before.

She’ll like the presents. Micro Christmas 19 days early may confuse her some, as it did last year, but I think she’s more ready to understand that St. Nicholas, real roots Santa, is properly honored on his feast day, December 6.

GC will get, too, that she has ancestors (both Minerva’s side and mine) from Middle Europe. They came here with traditions that included observing St. Nicholas Day.

My half-Czech mother, dead long before GC’s birth, made sure I had St. Nicholas Day. Bless her immortal soul, she left out religion.

And GC will have the day.

This one will mean more for me, because I looked up who this Nicholas was. And I was surprised to see that gifting kids in his name came after he died and that he gave his signal, significant gift to a dad in distress.

Legend nutshelled:

Myra, Greek city in today’s Southern Turkey. Early 300s.

A poor man had three girls almost grown and marriageable. But he couldn’t raise the cash to put up a dowry for even one of them, so none could get married. That meant they would be sold into slavery, i.e. prostitution.

The girls' father agonized. Nicholas, Christian Bishop of Myra, heard about the family's troubles and tossed three dowry-sized sacks of gold into their house. He did it in secret, at night.

Thus the poor man found means to be a good father, save his girls from misery and shame, and give each a shot at a decent life.

Drastically different times, for sure, but we can relate because we’re all trying to do the same. And we shudder at this same thought – What if I can’t save my child? What if I lose her/him in front of my eyes?

All over our world parents lose kids, right and left, in the most hellish ways, and can’t save them.

Hard to think on such things. But good to think of Nicholas of Myra, who gave one father what he needed to save his children.

Happy St. Nicholas Day.

Some of this holiday trad speaks to you, too. So tell…

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Comments

For crying out loud, Pater! Now I’m going to forever associate Christmas with three potential prostitutes instead of three wise men. Makes me want to put one of those Birds Eye Steamfresh singles you’re hawking on my forehead. Next you’re going to tell me GC is eating microwaved peas after school and the Easter Bunny was created to dissuade women from taking birth control pills. Are you one of the Brothers Grimm?

Comment #1, posted by YaYa on December 3, 2009 at 09:30:14 PM

I like this, it’s like, Never on Sunday meets Miracle on 34th Street.

Comment #2, posted by Chuck the Duck on December 9, 2009 at 01:52:57 AM

Pater’s Plays

Father and Son by Cat Stevens

Title males fail to communicate in mini-drama sung, both parts, by Stevens circa 1970, in musical prime and not yet renamed Son of Allah. Get into driving acoustic, vocal range, emotion, and forgive spoiled youth whining at father, “I have to go.” Go already. Of course, Dad will have to pay for the trip.

See Daddy of all Playlists