Santa Claus is still doing a good job Santa Claus putting presents under a Christmas tree. I WAS shocked this week to come across a story book telling young kids that the Ho-Ho-Ho guy is all a Ho-Ho-Hoax. What kind of person writes a book arguing that Santa is bad for children and kids should be told the "Christmas truth"? I can't believe anyone would think that, let alone publish it in a book for a young audience. But that's what an evangelical pastor from Colorado named Gregory Hugh Scherrer has done. He's written a depressing little kids' book called The Wonder of Believing, a story "written to encourage parents to be upfront with their children in regard to Santa Claus." Instead of Santa, he wants kids to believe in Jesus Christ. Scherrer asserts that traditions like Santa "may bring disappointment and mistrust," but I think he's talking baloney. Santa is one of the cornerstones of modern Christmas, particularly for children. Kids grow up so fast these days, so why should we want to burst the Santa bubble sooner than necessary? Luckily, many people agree with me, which is why a YouTube site showing poor brainwashed children reading Scherrer's book has just 200 hits, but a Facebook page called The Magic of Christmas has 1.9 million likes. But it's a sign that Christmas is under attack once again. In kinders and childcare centres, parents often have to battle to give Santa a look-in among culturally diverse end-of-year non-Christmas celebrations. People often don't even say Merry Christmas but the meaningless "Happy Holidays." And now the Christians are at it, making us feel guilty about the central role Santa plays in our Christmas. Scherrer's book is just the tip of the iceberg; there's even a pastor in the US who hung up an elf outside his church because such creatures are the "devil's work." For most people, Christmas is no longer a religious tradition and it's time Christians accepted it and moved on. Christmas is a time for family and friends to come together, for people to exchange gifts and enjoy some time off work. We should work hard to keep the magic of Christmas alive - regardless of what we think about Santa. The magic can be found in the handmade gifts from neighbours that appear on our doorstep at this time of year. It's there when old friends ring out of the blue for a Christmas chat. And it's there when three generations of the same family get together to bake Christmas puddings using Grandma's old recipe. But of course one of the easiest ways to feel the magic is through the eyes of children. So why not take some kids to Santa's Magic Kingdom in Richmond? Or you could all visit the Myer or DJs Christmas windows. Or if having your kids strapped down is more your thing, maybe you could just drive around in the car after dark looking at all the houses with Christmas lights. MY youngest son is four years old and I am revelling in his understanding of Christmas as a magical thing. At four he's old enough to understand about Santa, but too young to question anything. It's a brilliant age. Events that seem like chores to the rest of us are magical in his eyes. Things like wrapping presents or making rocky road to give to friends or putting up the Christmas tree are all great adventures. And nothing in his eyes is more magical than Santa. Why anyone would try to take that away from kids is absolutely beyond me. My son doesn't mind that everywhere he goes he sees a different Santa. And he doesn't seem to notice that some are just spreading the love while others are handing out branded balloons and charging $25 for a photo. Like many kids his age, he's just into it. When Santa visited his kinder, he told me knowingly: "He's not the real Santa, you know." Oh yes? Yep, the real one's in the North Pole, he wouldn't make it here by snack time. Now, I know eventually he'll start asking questions about the possibility of a fat old man in a reindeer-driven sleigh delivering presents to every child in the world in a 12-hour period before dawn. But I'll put that dark day off as long as possible. His siblings have seen the light, but play along. They're sternly told that "only those who believe, receive." For most adults, Christmas is far from magical, let's be honest. It's more about a crazy round of socialising, present buying, cooking and entertaining. There's the stress as we remember we've forgotten to buy a present for Aunty Mary and realise at 11am on Christmas Day that the turkey will never thaw in time. And let's not forget the guilt ... were your kids the only ones in their class not to give out cute home-baked reindeer cupcakes to their friends? Shame on you! But let's forget all that and hold on to the magic of Christmas as long as we can. And let's keep the Santa dream alive for all of our kids. Is Santa important? See Susie on Facebook.com/NewswithSuse