I do believe the there was a court ruling some years ago that stated that Christmas was not a religious holiday but had evolved into a folk festival;
Then why can manger scenes not be displayed on public property or Silent Night be sung at public school assemblies without a court fight?
Nevertheless, I would like to know how Santa Claus fits into Christmas as a Christan symbol.
Did you miss the part about St. Nicholas? Linguistically, Santa Claus comes from Sinter Klas(sp?) which is Dutch for St. Nicholas.