It's the world's favorite money-making, moral- breaking, scheme- endorsing, child- exploiting "holiday": Christmas.

The Christmas holiday is one pictured with family and fun times. I always enjoyed Christmas because this was the time my family and I had the opportunity to get together and help others that were in need. Unfortunately, I've grown to see Christians participate in the pagan side of Christmas; a side that neglects the reason for the season and delves into traditions that are not of our Lord.

Christmas's origin lies with trying to convert pagans to Christianity. The great Roman festival Saturnalia is where many of the traditions of Christmas began: gift giving, caroling, and baking gingerbread men. Saturnalia was integrated into Christianity in the 4th century, as a means to mass convert the pagan Roman citizens. The Puritans banned Christmas in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681, as an illegal observance; other religious groups also do this, and if others do this shouldn't we?

Observing Christmas as the time that our Lord and Savior was born to save man, is not only perfectly fine, it's fantastic. Any time that family can come together in the name of Christ is great, but why do we insist on participating in pagan traditions? We should use this time to remember Jesus, without stringing lights or setting up an evergreen and decorating it. Even worse, there are Christians in the world that raise their children with Santa Claus. First and foremost that is lying, which is kind of a big no according to the Ten Commandments. Secondly, it's also participating in pagan traditions and guiding your children down the wrong path. Resulting in them having unrealistic expectations of the world around them instead of being more aware and better Christians.

Santa Claus is a myth, and all myths are just a way to restrain behavior. What makes this myth different is that society has taken it too far: advertising toys towards an already excessively preyed-on demographic, praising parents for participating in the revelry(and looking down upon those who don't), and ultimately turning a time supposedly meant to honor family and being selfless into the massive scheme that it is today. It's really sad how people will excuse it saying that "It's apart of the magic of Christmas". Hopefully, parents will be able to provide joy and a sense of magic to their children is without forming elaborate lies. The message the Santa epidemic sends out is that the only way for someone to feel magic, is to be deceived since there is nothing special about the world we live in- which simply is not true. Children are born into this world because of their parent's actions, the least parents could do is not lie to the people who trust in them completely and to who they are absolutely dependent on. When parents allow themselves to be caught in the "spirit of the holidays", they should keep in mind the true meaning of Christmas.