The Jesus Post
Children know who Santa Claus is here. They just don’t believe in him. Who is this fat guy who walks around wearing a furry red suit and how can people really believe he fits down the chimneys in houses to put presents underneath the tree? How absurd. Besides, everyone knows it’s the baby Jesus who really brings the presents.Ježišek, as he’s called here, brings presents to put under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Much like Santa except that (a) It's Jesus, and (b) He doesn't go down the chimney, he comes in the door. Apparently Jesus is more logical than Santa. And in case you're wondering how Jesus manages to get through the front door without being noticed, I should mention that he is invisible.
Adding further complication, the "Baby Jesus" is in fact not a baby at all, but an old man with a beard. I think this is to make it easier for children to believe he brings the presents, since it's hard to imagine an infant - even an invisible one - knocking on doors and dragging a large sack of presents behind him.
So when the Christmas season approaches each year, children (and sometimes students) across the Czech Republic pull out a pen and paper, and begin their wish list... "Milý Ježišku, ..." (Dear Jesus, ...). And when they've finished their letters, what do they do with them???
(Well, if they're English students, they give them to their teacher, but ...)
They put them in the Jesus Post, of course!
It makes sense. For being a pretty solidly atheist country, they remember where Christmas comes from, if only in legend. And they won't have any of this silly "coming down the chimney" business.
So, let me ask you: Have you written to Jesus lately?
posted by europhile @ 04:30
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