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Message Of Santa Lost In Favour Of Materialism

Mon, 06 Dec 2010

A senior Church of England bishop has hit out at the UK for hijacking the message of "selfless" St Nicholas - the saint who inspired Santa Claus .

Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, believes the saint’s message has been lost in favour of "pester power" and materialism.

In his Christmas message, Dr Smith explained how St Nicholas - a fourth century bishop of Myra in present day Turkey - was renowned for his generosity and his love of children.

But he said it was sad "that in Britain the selfless St Nicholas has been hijacked and has become the Father Christmas of a thousand adverts".

"We are left with little more than a materialistic Christmas, less about giving and more about self-pampering," he added. "Pester-power rules OK."

The bishop urged parents to remember St Nicholas in the right way by placing inexpensive gifts such as oranges and gold chocolate coins into children's Christmas stockings this year.

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