I don't lie to my kids about Santa.

Obviously, the 15-year-old knows the truth, but the 5-year-old doesn't and enjoys Santa. I tell her stuff and if she asks questions, I carefully answer them so as to not lie. I may answer a question with a question? "Is Santa real, Daddy?" "Well, didn't you get presents last year? Didn't you see him at the mall?" etc. But if she ever flat out insists on the truth, she'll get it. I just hope she waits a while and enjoys the spirit of the season.

You asked about the Galation saints observing holidays. Paul, I think, meant that they were religiously observing holidays. Recall that the apostle said that observance of days was not wrong. "One who observes a day, to the Lord he observes it. One who does not observe a day, to the Lord he does not observe it." Here, the apostle was speaking of private observance of days. In the Galation churches, they were apparently forcing others to observe days, which is quite a different matter.

I'll lay this one on you: Jesus observed holidays, even those not sanctioned by God! In John 10, we find Him at the Feast of Dedication, which to our knowledge, was never sanctioned by God. It commemorated Judas Maccabeas (sp) cleansing the temple after it was taken over by invaders and a pig was sacrificed on the altar. Not only was our Master at the celebration (a religious event), but He was found walking on the only part of the original temple to survive--Soloman's Porch.

In the end, sister, you have freedom to celebrate or not celebrate, but I don't see a condemnation of the celebration of holidays.