Early Christian Christmas: Understanding how the Early Christians treated children come Christmas

Many people look to Europe for Christmas inspiration. This usually means a gift-giver who only delivered to "nice" children. For most of Christian history, Santa Claus was depicted as handing over a whip to parents in order to scourge a child for their disobedience to parents. However, the Early Christians kept things simple - no Santa, meaning only family members exchanged presents. Children were central to the Christmas holiday then, but in a more respectful way.

The Greek root word for Christian love is αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) and refers to, in the context of parenting, full and dutiful submission to children, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Part of this submission is giving to children without receiving anything in return. That means that parents did not expect anything in return from children, not even a "thank-you". Children usually said "thank-you" to parents for their gifts, but when they didn't, it was seen as simply the child getting the wrong gift. 

Threatening children with Santa Claus was not a concept in the Early Church. Even threatening a child with nothing for Christmas was seen as coming from parental entitlement. The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is an adult losing their cool when children don't give them what the feel deserving of from children. Not giving children their presents was seen as a form of a parent losing their cool with their children. When children cried on Christmas, due to perceiving offenses or damages, the parents were put under church investigation for child abuse. Child abuse was defined as whatever the child perceived as offensive or damaging. See also Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and was understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other controlling demeanor towards children. Some Greek Christian parents in the Early Church were charged with child abuse after withholding Christmas gifts from children as punishment. The Apostle Paul here was convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time as a deacon.

The Early Christian Christmas experience consisted of a church service, with the church service being followed with families gathering at home, exchanging gifts. Children were not obligated to be grateful, and instead gratitude being shown anyway most of the time. When children did not like the gift, they could return their gift to parents.

The Early Christians had no concept of Santa Claus, meaning that there was no gift-giver to threaten children with. Instead, children received toys, goodies, and sweets from parents. Usually, children were grateful for their gifts, but sometimes, they weren't. When they weren't grateful, the gifts were given back to parents. 

Gratitude on the giving end of a gift exchange is not expecting anything in return from the gift receiver. Usually, children were grateful for their gifts. However, sometimes, the child rejected the gifts bestowed onto them. When that happened, parents apologized immediately for the gift, and took it back if the child wanted the item taken back. Parents who were angered by the ingratitude of children were seen as abusive. Whenever something coming from parents was rejected by the child, it was seen as a sign of coldness in a parent, unless the parent apologized right away.

Santa Claus is a means of behavioral modification in children. Up until about the 1950s, Santa was depicted as carrying a whip for the "naughty" children, and handing it over to parents as "one united front". The Early Christians did not even have a concept of Santa Claus, or any gift-giver. Instead, children got everything that they wanted from parents, with all children receiving gifts - no matter how they behaved in the previous year. 

Children usually saw an item on the market shelf, and decided that such was what they wanted for Christmas. Most of the time, the actual gift exchange happened right in the market square. Some gifts cost more money - such as a pet sheep - mothers had their children wait until Christmas Day to get the item, as most Christians in the Early Christian churches were dirt poor.

Children should not have to fear not getting Christmas gifts from parents. Children should instead get everything that they want for Christmas. Children were usually thrilled opening gifts after Christmas church services. However, children were not obligated to be grateful for the gifts that they received, no matter how much entitlement that they showed when given the wrong gifts. Children usually have that one gift that they don't want, and today, the child is punished for being ungrateful. However, in the Early Church, the focus on charity was not gratitude on the receiving end, but instead the focus of gratitude was on the giving end. Punishing a child for not accepting gifts

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!