We have a similar icon in our home, and I used it to explain the legend to my son.  One thing my wife and I agreed on, was that our son would not be taught that there was a literal "Santa Claus", rather, he was taught the story of St Nicholas, and that the popular story is just a lame Protestant appropriation of a saint.  I've debunked similar Protestant errors and omissions about Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving to him, as well as to explain that, no, we do not go to Mass on January 1st because it's New Year's Day, the reason is quite different.

Children in Poland (and our son is a Polish citizen, niestety, he hardly knows ten words of Polish, we haven't been successful in teaching him) aren't taught that there is a literal Santa Claus.  We chose to follow the Polish custom instead of the American one.

''What most Americans probably do not know is that the song was based on the Jєωιѕн childhood of the storywriter, Robert May (which was later set to music by his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks). hαɾɾιs tells the story:

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the most Jєωιѕн Christmas song of all, because Robert May based the story of Rudolph, you know, ‘had a very shiny nose’, ok, big nose... you know, ‘all the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names, they wouldn’t let poor Rudolph play in any Reindeer games’... He based that on his own childhood as a Jєω. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the story of a young Jєωιѕн boy in the United States. And you know what’s so interesting about Rudolph? It’s that Rudolph doesn’t get a nose job.


“So, the point of [the song] is not for Rudolph to blend in and become another reindeer, the point of Rudolph is for Rudolph to be appreciated for what he is. It is the Jєωιѕн story.”


Eye-opening!  I never gave much thought about the story behind the song ''Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer'' but now I see it completely different.  I just remembered something about the 1960s movie version.  That character that wants to be a dentist.  I always thought that was odd choice.  Now, knowing the Jєωιѕн origins of the song, aren't a lot of dentists Jєωιѕн?

I too have a similar icon. Glad to hear you follow the Polish way. I am the only left who could pass anything down Polish-wise. My older sister knows a wee bit but she is not traditional in any sense of the word. My oplatek finally arrived from the US today.