"Is Santa a Man or a Woman?"

Humor is one of the cornerstones of life. With that fact in mind, I offer the following story. It seems that someone has published a very careful and thorough research paper determining that, in spite of what we have been led to believe, Santa Claus is probably a woman. "I think Santa Claus is a woman," the investigator writes. "I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he is a she. I can buy the fact that other mythical holiday characters are men. Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous - definite guy. Cupid flies around carrying a weapon, typical male behavior. Either of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test, but not St. Nick. Not a chance." And then the report goes into a lot of technicalities and complexities, which, I've summarized with the eight reasons why Santa is probably not of the male gender.

1. No way a guy could pull off a warm, fuzzy, nurturing, social event like Christmas all by himself.
2. A male Santa would get lost in a snowstorm somewhere and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.
3. A guy wouldn't be caught dead in that red velvet suit.
4. Santa couldn't be a man because men can't pack a bag.
5. Men also don't answer their mail.
6. Santa’s not a guy because being responsible for Christmas requires a commitment.
7. Hanging out with elves is too threatening to a sense of masculinity.
8. And, the number one reason to conclude that Santa is probably a woman: If Santa was a "he," all the reindeer would be dead, gutted, and strapped to the rear bumper of the sleigh!

I do hope you at least giggled a bit. It is humorous, but the point of all this is that it's very easy to get so attached to a tradition that you don't really think about it. Traditions, whether they are Christmas traditions, family traditions or even church traditions, are like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they add meaning to life because they call us to remember significant people or events and that's good. On the other hand, they can become so much of our routine that they wind up being little more than just "going through the motions." We do the church routine because, well, we've always done the church routine. We do the family stuff because we've always done the family stuff. And we do the Christmas thing every year because we've always done the Christmas thing. There's no real meaning attached and that's not good. In fact, the Scripture has a word to say about those kinds of traditions. At one point in the history of Israel, the tradition of worshipping God had become so routine for the people they actually lost touch with God:

The Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.’” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT).

There is meaning to Christmas traditions. Begin to rediscover the true meaning of all you do this Christmas. Look for the symbolism in the customs of Christmas. Try to find Christ in all that's going on around you. He's there if you'll look for Him. For example, how could you connect Christ with buying and decorating a Christmas tree? Is there any way that could communicate Christ to you? It does to me. When I see a Christmas tree, it reminds me somewhat of the cross that Jesus died on. It was made out of a tree. And the fact that this tree is an evergreen reminds me that because Jesus died for my sins, God has forgiven me and I will get to live forever with Him. The fact that the tree is in the house is symbolic, too. It's a reminder of the fact that Jesus has to be on the inside, in my heart, if I'm going to have this everlasting life. Finally, the lights on the tree remind me that Jesus is the light of the world and I don't have to live in darkness any longer. Our God is in everything we see and know. “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other god! If you obey all the laws and commands that I will give you today, all will be well with you and your children. Then you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time." (Deuteronomy 4:39 NLV). Enjoy the traditions this year!