The Night of St. Nick. Is Santa Claus real?
December 25 is Christmas Day. The day Saint Nicholas allegedly delivers presents to the “nice” children of the world. This begs the question, “Is Santa Claus real?” Perhaps not, but a few years ago I read an interesting article some physics students put together that answers this very question.
Read on for the satirized, scientific study.
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Babies, Books, and Knitting
This is the time of year when many celebrate a rather historic moment: the birth of a child. It is unusual because our culture typically shuns the embracing of a single religion in favour of the “many paths to God” philosophy. Perhaps it is the captivating allure of a small, innocent child that calms the belligerent tendencies in us. Or perhaps it is simply that as creatures of habit we feel compelled to embrace the unwavering traditions in which we were raised. Nevertheless, every year the story is told and it begins in Matthew chapter one:
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
22All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”
–Matthew 1:18, 22-23 (NIV)
The book of Matthew launches a new era in Biblical writings: The New Testament. The book initiates a new beginning of the Bible that builds on the foundation of the Old Testament and starts the ball rolling with a series of writings that together comprise a single narrative. What is remarkable about Matthew is that even though it begins with the Christmas story, the birth of Christ, there is something that takes place in the first few verses that is even more interesting: The genealogy of Jesus. Although I find reading genealogies a tad dry, the fact that God chose to begin with one illustrates a facet of His character that I find most intriguing.