Do You Believe In Santa Claus ?

Do You Believe In Santa Claus ?

On December 24th, 1914, on the Western Front of World War One in Ypres, Belgium, the war took a pause. The beginning of this temporary truce began with German soldiers decorating their trenches with miniature Christmas trees, complete with candles. As the candles became lit, so did the smiles of the men shivering in their trenches and they embraced the Christmas sprit.
The soldiers breached the boundaries with song, and “Stille Nacht” and “Silent Night” met in the middle of No Man’s Land. Soon soldiers followed behind the cover of the music and met each other half way between the trenches, between the opinions, and between the war. They exchanged gifts of whisky, jam, cigarettes and chocolate before retreating to their sides.
On Christmas Day the troops woke and ate a bountiful breakfast. After breakfast parties from each side crossed lines to collect the bodies of fallen comrades for proper burial. Some soldiers ventured into the void, and soccer matches ensued. Many soldiers crossed sides for the day, and ate their Christmas dinner with “the enemy”.
“That the guns may fall silent, at least upon the night the angels sang”
- Pope Benedict XV
Christmas is more than a day to receive presents. It is a season to make choices as to who you want to be. You may not believe in Santa Claus, but I do. Believe in the feeling of pride when you give someone a gift that’s been well thought out. I’m not so sure about Coca-Cola’s version of Santa Claus, but just as Christians believe it is their duty to preach the gospel, we need to spread the spirit of Christmas. The real Christmas doesn’t exist in Wal Mart but in our hearts.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more” –Dr. Seuss
You give gifts to your friends, to your family, and to your teachers, but why not include your community this year ? When you volunteer for your community, you give of yourself. Your community is your home, and a house divided will not stand. There are a number of ways you can help out this community season.
The Sooke Lioness Lions annual “Toys 4 Kidz” toy drive for local families has collection boxes in local businesses, including Shopper’s Drug Mart, SEAPARC, and Coast Capital. If you want to volunteer during the actual event you can contact Diane Kent in the Student Development Centre.
The Sooke Food Bank teams up during this event and provides Hamper Baskets full of food for Christmas Dinner. There are food donation boxes in Village Food Markets and Western Foods, which our school hampers will be fed into. The toy drive gives toys to approximately 475 children each year, and supports over 200 families with Christmas Dinner Hampers.
This Christmas season you don’t have to be a soldier in battle to remember to share Christmas spirit, and you don’t have to be in a World War. Each of us fight our own wars each day, and remembering this should be a part of your holiday compassion. It’s a time to forgive, and a time to remember. So whether you believe in God, in Wal Mart, or in Jehovah, don’t forget the spirit of Santa Claus this year.
“No known species of reindeer can fly. But there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified. While most of these are insects and germs, this does not completely rule out flying reindeer.”


written for the EMCS Review Newspaper :)