[rick-in-seattle]

Santa to me is an old man in a Santa suit. Perhaps not the Santa most people think of, but the working Santa in the department store.

Where does he spend the rest of the year? On the street?
Why does he choose to play Santa for children? I don't know.

Still, without him what would Christmas be like?

He is the one we see and remember from our childhood.
He is the kind old gentleman that we whispered our Christmas wishes to.
To me he was and will always be Santa.

[Teri Embrey]

The name "Santa" covers a very big picture, actually. The fellows I carve, for instance, aren't really the Santa in the red suit that you see at Christmas, but rather they are old friends, good messengers, etc. They embody (I hope) the Spirit at the heart of all the legends that make up "Santa" - The Spirit of Hope - of kindness, giving, helpfulness, compassion. As for what he's doing all year long, I hope he never stops bringing those things into people's lives.


Teri

[Hugh]

Santa is a visual character that has been used, to create a happy atmosphere at Christmas, to help people celebrate the season, by showing, The Spirit of Hope - of kindness, giving, helpfulness, compassion. This character has diluted the true reason for celebrating Christmas. That reason being the birth of Christ. Christ is !, The Spirit of Hope - of kindness, giving, helpfulness, compassion.

[Teri Embrey]

I'm not so sure that anything that brings a spirit of hope to another should be considered a "dilution" to the message of God and who He is.

I'll share something here that I wrote a couple years ago; hopefully it'll bring a clearer picture to what I'm trying to convey (it's kind of long, so buckle up):

I’ve been asked (and sometimes challenged!) why it is I've chosen the idea of Santa as the focus of my artwork. I’ve been thinking about that question lately, and have decided to try and give it an answer, as best I can – no doubt as much (or more) for myself as for anyone else. (Sometimes it’s good to stop and check where you are and what you’re doing, don’t you agree?)



Art is a sort of discovery process, I think. We dig deep sometimes - uncovering pieces and parts of us that tell of who we are, what we think and dream about under all this skin and bone we carry around for protection.



I've been drawn to this “Santa� character - the idea, the legends and my own vision of who (or what) he might be - since childhood. Whether drawing, painting, sculpting or carving, my own artwork has always drifted toward some expression of it.





Known by various names around the world, “Santa� has become a timeless legend - the magical gift-giver whose only limit is our own imagination. But as with many legends and stories over time, it did start with a real person. He was St. Nicholas, a bishop in the early Church. Many of the details of his life are hazy and all sorts of legends and myths are intermixed with truth. But we do know that he was born the only child of very wealthy parents in the year 280. His parents died while he was young, and he inherited their great wealth. As he grew, he felt led to enter the ministry, studied for the priesthood and was later appointed bishop while still a very young man.



One day, he heard of a poor family with three daughters who had already reached the age to marry. But no men were willing to marry them because their father was too poor to pay their dowry – a very important custom in those days. Nicholas filled three pouches with gold and, under cover of darkness, went to their home and tossed a pouch through the window of each daughter. When the family woke the next morning, they were filled with joy by this mysterious gift, and the daughters were able to marry and go on to have their own families. That, my friend, was a very cool thing Nicholas had done.



From this first secret visit of gift-giving, and through many more stories like it, rose the legend that unexpected gifts come from St. Nicholas - from which rose the custom that Christmas gifts comes from St. Nicholas. The legend continued to grow with the help of human imagination: his name would change as the legend spread to other cultures; a writer gave him some reindeer; a cartoonist gave him a red suit and pipe; another artist gave him a workshop of elves to help prepare his gifts. We’ve each added our own dreams and imaginings to the legend of Santa and it’s fun to do – no matter how old a child you are.



But at the core – under all the dazzling images that make us feel like wide-eyed children again - remains the simple story: an orphaned boy who gave his life to God and helping others in need. THAT, to me, is cooler than much of the glitter we’ve added over the years. And it’s sure a nicer thing to honor than many of the folks whose names have been engraved into our lives and calendars over the years.



It is all and as simple as that - through my art, I try to express my own vision of Santa: the spirit of hope: of kindness, compassion and giving. It's my hope that each new fellow I create embodies that same gentle spirit, yet adds his own personal story to the legend that is Santa.



Do I believe in Santa? You bet I do.

Teri

[rick-in-seattle]

I believe that Santa and what he stands for is definately a good thing.
The commercial use of Santa to sell merchandise is questionable at the very least.
There are people who believe in Santa and also believe in spirtual beings. Others believe in no higher power but still embrace the spirit of giving and helping others that Santa represents.

A figure, spirtual or not; whom represents peace, joy, and giving is something we need more of. So start carving Santas!

[MDWine]

My Santa is the spirit of giving of ones self, and a spirit of happiness.

We have a carved sign over our living room that says "We believe in Santa Claus", and it is there all year.

Our spirit of Santa lives all year, helping people in many things, giving ourselves, being happy... and having fun.

(No, I'm not generally a serious person! ) I definitely believe in having fun!

[Colin_Partridge]

Santa or Father Christmas, St Nicholas, or what ever you call him is just a spirit of giving and happiness. I love Christmas I always look upon it as a time of year when we can put aside our differences and think of only happy things. Santa to me is that jolly old man in the red suit that I always believed rode that sleigh and herded reindeer in front of him. I remember looking for him in the night sky and you know what every Christmas I would always manage to pick him out among the bright stars in the sky or even when it was overcast. I have a passion for the old guy and athough I carve woodspirits Santa is the carving I most collect. I carve him from time to time but there are so many other people that do such a great job of carving him that collect what they carve instead. What ever you thought of Santa is I am sure it is a good one as it is to all of us.
Colin

[Just Carving]

To me, everyone, and anyone can be Santa, 24/7/365.

I think everyone does something for someone of their own free will, at some time, without being asked to, paid to, or pressured into doing. Even if you do it once a year, that still makes you Santa to me.

So, with all the help offered here, that makes us all more than qualified to be Santa.

[rick-in-seattle]

Bob,
I also have the belly for it.

[Just Carving]

Rick,

Not me! At 6'-3" and 175 lbs, there weren't enough pillows! LOL

That's why I got to drive the Rescue truck to the North Pole to pick up Santa and bring him to the kids' Christmas party every year. (I was the only one able that could get there without getting lost! My secret: I bribed Rudolph with his favorite to meet me half way, of course!)

Man--I never did see another reindeer eat so many oatmeal cookies!