Research shows that religious people who actively participate in religious gatherings tend to have a more positive experience of Christmas, with expectations largely fulfilled.
Elf-on-a-shelf and the ‘this is you as a baby’ Tiktok trend both involve tricking our kids. Can tricking your kids damage trust, or can it actually teach them something? And why do they believe us?
Several of Santa’s modern features, such as his generosity, miracle-working, and focus on morality (being ‘naughty or nice’), were part of his image from the very beginning.
What if Santa’s job is one of those taken over by an intelligent machine? Would a robot Santa begin to question its purpose and the existence of those it’s designed to serve at Christmas?
Like many high school students I completely misunderstood the philosopher Herbert Spencer’s phrase “survival of the fittest.” I interpreted it to mean that those animals of a species that were the most…
I remember the Santa depicted in the movies being a kind man that spent the entire year making toys to give all the boys and girls. But the songs painted a slightly more cynical picture of a man who used…
Professor of Public Theology in the Department of Beliefs and Practices, Faculty of Theology, at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Free University of Amsterdam), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam