Santa and the Lump of Coal

A little background…a few years ago, my Jewish nephew was asking questions about Santa Claus. He wanted to know why Santa brought a lump of coal to naughty children. As the Santa expert in the family, and wishing to tell a story that made a point, I wrote the following story:

For those children who celebrate Christmas, Santa Claus has always been the spirit of giving come to life. For all children everywhere, Santa will always bring a gift. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they are small, but Santa always brings a gift.

Sometimes children forget, but they are gift givers too! Whenever children listen to their mommies and daddies, whenever they do what their mommies and daddies want them to do, they show their love and respect, and that is a very great gift indeed. Santa knows these things and always gives the best gifts to those children.

Unfortunately not all children give these gifts to their parents. Santa knows this too. But that doesn't stop Santa from bringing these children a gift. But for those children, the gift may be something they need rather than something fun they may have asked for.

A long time ago, people would heat their homes with big Pot-bellied stoves and in those stoves they would burn coal. To the children, coal looked like a dirty black rock. But, to their parents, it was a gift of warmth.

For those children who "gave gifts" to their parents all year long , Santa would bring gifts of joy and wonder. For those children who did not, he gave a lump of coal. While this did not appear to be a gift, it was in fact a gift of warmth that they could give their parents. And by doing so, they learned the value and the joy of giving so that in future years they would give to their parents all year long and, at Christmas time, Santa would bring gifts of joy and wonder.

To this very day, Santa still brings the lump of coal as a reminder that in giving we create the inner warmth that sustains us all and that, by giving all year long, the warmth is already there and presents of wonder and delight await "giving" children at Christmas.