Is Santa truly a secular figure or is he a religious one? This has been a long-standing argument. However, instead of viewing Saint Nick as either secular or religious, it would be more beneficial to examine him as a figure consisting of both religious and secular elements. It is true that the contemporary Santa Claus may be more associated with secular concepts, such as consumerism, but it is also crucial to emphasize the origins of the jolly old man. He is the product of Western Christianization. It is thought that he was created from a combination of the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint, who was known for giving gifts, and the fictional character of Father Christmas from British folklore (CITE). Santa Claus can be viewed …show more content…
In Chidester’s book Authentic Fakes, he argues that over the years, the blurred line between popular culture and religion has become stronger. The area where the two intertwine creates the middle zone. In this middle zone are several categories including: sacred icons; intense, ritualized performances; sacred games; and communities of allegiance, all characteristics that consist of elements of both popular culture and religion (CITE). Basically, sacred icons are symbols that have become prominent in society (Chidester 4). They are powerful and many of these icons take on both religious and secular qualities. Intense, ritualized performances involve some sort of interaction between the two parties involved and inspire “collective efferverscence,” a term coined by Emile Durkheim that essentially describes the energy that creates group unity and identity (CITE). Sacred games, such as baseball, involve many similar elements to religion, such as tradition, allegiance, and rituals, as well as a common worldview (CITE). Finally, communities of allegiance are devoted followers, who partake it rituals to show their commitment to the group and whoever or whatever they are admiring (CITE). Overall, Chidester’s theory emphasizes that there are ambiguous concepts, figures, and movements that cannot be neatly categorized as either solely religious or solely
Evidently, myths have become the culprit of traditions. That being said, the contemporary and ancient myths of Santa Claus and Krampus can only be understood by determining the elements that devise their entireties. Both narratives involve elements of opposition, trickery, mythemes, repetition, symbols, and ritualistic processes all of which support the structure of each holiday myth and tradition. Overall, the individual elements facilitate a valid, detailed compare and contrast analysis when examining the myths of Santa Claus and Krampus in a North American culture.
Moore investigates the attitudes, behavior, and perception of Americans regarding their respective individual sacred and secular lives. He is interested in the roles of popular culture and religion and in addition, how popular culture affected the shift in boundaries between sacredness and secularism, particularly how these practices shape American religion. We live in a complex society and social structure that is structured with norms and values that they themselves structure the way we interpret and interact with others.
Jay Mocks article “Is Santa Clause a Conspiracy?” first appeared on The River Journal website on December 11th, 2009. Mock, an online blogger who has the mindset that there are conspiracies behind many things that go on in the world, seeks to encourage readers to discover whether there is a conspiracy behind Santa Claus. If so, whether or not it is maintained by the lies of parents, and whether or not their intentions are good because they support good, and even so would that still qualify as a bad thing? “We sometimes knowingly lie or overlook a lie if the reason is to support ‘good’” (Mock p4). The legend of Santa Claus can be the lure to which mankind falls into a ploy of conspiracy that may fortify a manipulative mindset and devious conduct in people. This article is a good example of how conspiracy theorist can appeal to readers through persuasion by the use of three kinds of proofs, reasoning (logos), credibility (ethos), and emotion (pathos). Although this article is a great attention grabber, it lacks the ability to impose the authors’ thoughts and feelings upon its readers.
Hoffman, Shirl J.. Sport and Religion. Champaign, ILHuman Kinetics Publishers: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1992. Print
“He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good. So be good for goodness sake!” (Coots and Gillespie). The man is all knowing, benevolent, loving, generous, and kind. He can see people’s every action, and keeps a list of the good and bad that they have done. He rewards if they have done good, and punishes if they have done bad. He lives far away in a mystical, magical, un-chartable place. His name is Santa Claus. Or, is it God? There are undeniable parallels between the two. They are magical, mystical, and beyond the natural world. Santa Claus is very God-like. In fact, children take an approach to Santa that is similar to one they would God.
“Crash”! Sorry that was Santa coming down the chimney! At Macy’s department store in New York City, people think that Santa should be a man not a woman. The problem is that at Macy’s Department store they hired a woman not a man and no one suspected it. They hired her to be Santa at this year’s holiday shopping center. The reason why they hired her is because they didn’t have enough men to apply for the job. Customers were angry and said that they would never shop there again. There were five women hired for the job. My opinion on Santa being a girl is that only men should be allowed to be Santa.
...ch out only for themselves, we lose sight of what Christmas is truly about. Forgetting the being of Santa Claus only makes us slight the kindness on which this holiday is based. Not believe in Santa! You may as well not believe in the very gifts laid under the tree on Christmas morn. Without your faith, Santa Claus would be nonexistent. There would be no yearning in your soul to give of yourself to others, no example to follow. Thank God, Santa Claus exists and exists forever, lightening the heavy heart as the sight of the snow blankets the soul and defines the heart of childhood.
Many of us have different ways to describe what religion is made up of as well as its purpose to serve humans because we are all part of different cultures. In this reflection paper I will discuss how anthropologist Clifford Geertz and Talal Asad view the use and importance of symbolism in religion in society. I will then discuss how Clifford Geertz and Talal Asad would each respond to the story “Voodoo in Brooklyn” by Patrick Bellegarde Smith.
In Charles Webb’s “The Death of Santa Claus,” the speaker describe how a story of how Santa Claus died to him once he found out Santa Claus is not actually real. In the first half of the poem, Webb tells the story of how Santa Claus was feeling kinda sick and the sickness turned into his death. At the end of poem the 8 year old kid telling the story about Santa Claus gives the reader some details but not many, on how his mom had to tell him Santa Claus was not real.
I don’t remember when my daughter, Maxine, first heard about Santa. Chances are good I wasn’t even aware of it. The symbol of “the spirit of Christmas” is so ever-present in America — steeped in our culture the same way God is steeped in our culture. As an American child, there was no way Maxine was ever going to miss the Santa
“Are you believing in Santa Claus?” Have you asked this question to someone? Children would say “Yes,” but adults would say “No.” This is because children believe that Santa Claus gives them a lot of gifts on Christmas day, but adults know the gifts are given by their parents. Christmas is the most popular holiday all over the world, and most families get together and spend time on dinner in the United States. Children enjoy everything such as Santa Claus and reindeer as reality, but adults just have fun with an atmosphere of the event through Christmas songs and illuminations. What makes the difference between them? The answer is believing in Santa Claus or not. However, even though adults know the man is not real, all people should believe in Santa Claus. Believing in Santa Claus gives everyone benefits such as developing children’s creativity and more enjoyment of Christmas for adults.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966&2000) explains not only the life of the Grinch but the Whos as well. Through the theorists of Karen Horney and Erik Erikson, viewers can learn why the Grinch’s personality is formed. Not only had it formed, but through the years it transformed.
Parents should not subject children to the black magic known as Santa Claus. The morbidly obese man in the red suit, a slave captor, forces little men to work for his sick desires. Aside from slavery and the ‘pixie dust’ drugs that the elves are forced to endure, Saint Nick commits 132,000,000 felonies every Christmas Eve (How Does Santa Do It?). He breaks into people’s houses in record time to pull off an inverted heist. The general implication that society forces adolescents of America to believe is simply rubbish. They grow up in a world of lies; believing that breaking in and entering are all okay under Jesus’s rule. The disgusting lie told to kids detracts from the true meaning of Christmas. Receiving gifts on this
Geertz defines religion as ‘(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.’ In this essay, I will focus on the Geertz’s idea, and Asad’s subsequent critique, of symbols. (Geertz, Clifford, and Michael Banton. "Religion as a cultural system." (1966).)
Dutch children would put shoes by the fireplace for St. Nicholas or "Sinter Klaas" and leave food out for his horse. He'd gallop on his horse between the rooftops and drop candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes. Meanwhile, his assistant, Black Peter, was the one who popped down the chimneys to leave gifts behind. Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinter Klaas to North America -- where we came to know him as Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore first described the “jolly old elf” with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas.