The story goes that an American visited a Japanese shopping mall and discovered to his horror that a Santa Claus effigy was on a cross! He thought this was a joke, or maybe a political protest, or a post-modern installation, but then he realised this was it was done innocently by store people who just assumed Jesus Christ and Santa Claus were the same people. This is not surprising when you see American serials where parents debate on whether to tell their children if Santa is real, or not. In fact, over time, in many homes, Jesus Christ has been removed from the Christmas discourse. It is all about Santa. Who is Santa?

Illustration/Pattanaik Column