What sucks - the cult of Santa

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Every year you see him. Every year he comes to your mall or supermarket or parades through the center of town with elves and reindeer, but why on earth do we do it. Has this mystical legend cast a spell on us even though I am sure most would not believe in Santa Claus? Santa is not real yet he still sticks around year to year. He hasn't been superceded in the computer age either. He still does the "Ho, ho, ho" mantra and apparently plans to get kids what they want most.
Two items I have to present about this fellow.
1. The myth and the man. I my research over the years of things Christmas I have come to the conclusion that who we recognize as Santa Claus is a construction of numerous folklores and legends from Europe concerning a kindly gift giver who visits near or at Christmas. In transporting these customs to the states, it seems his identity has become more clear. Now he's a fat bearded man who lives at the North Pole and delivers gifts on Christmas Eve via a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. Santa also perfers Coke to Pepsi. This is a far cry from perhaps the most orginal source of legends, Nicolas of Myra. Apparently this kindly man helped out a family by secreting gold in the daughters' stockings back in the days when Constantine was the world super power. Far cry? You decide.

2. Is Santa the patron saint of Christmas? In the last century I believe the Santa myth has pretty much become the center of the Holiday. All you Christmasolgists would probably say "Who cares, it was supposed to be about light and winter in the first place until some guy thought it worked well with the Biblical accounts of Jesus' birth." Well, to make a long story short it was a pragmatic choice. See here for more. (Ironically, I might add, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the festival of lights, takes place within the same time frame.)
Seems like everywhere I go Santa (a myth) gets the main attention. I see it almost everywhere.
Mind you, not all give Santa that type of place. I hope to pay homage to those folks who decided to decorate with manager scenes. I'll post some pictures on the blog if I can.

Lastly, it makes me wonder why Americans keep up this Santa myth- flying reindeer, able to get into your house, able to see you. Santa seems like a miraclous kind of guy in way- kind of like Jesus.

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