I don't understand why "mandlk" would be concerned with how "secular," much less "TOO secular" this made-for-TV movie is, or whether or not it made "sure there was No religion in this movie" as, the entirety of the story of - and the origin of the story of - "Santa Claus" has nothing to do with religion, whether viewed secularly or otherwise, in any fashion. The legend of Santa Clause derived from Thomas Nast year end cartoons printed in New York in the 1820's, amplified by Coca- Cola (paint)advertisements dating as late as the 1930's.
The English colonists of what had been "New Amsterdam," now New York, had no legend that correlated with the Dutch "Sinter Klaas," wherein Sinter Klaas would visit all the good (Dutch) children, giving them gifts and whatnot. After the English had taken over New Amsterdam, they ended up evolving the Santa Claus legend (and boy... it's a long story) to please their children. The Santa Claus story we're all familiar with in the 21st-Century didn't fully gel until after the Great Depression of the 1930's and, especially, with the "Miracle on 34th Street" film.
I guarantee it had nothing, whatsoever, to do with religion, lack of religion or secularism... or NON-secularism... or even a Christian usurpation of some pagan yule tradition. It is basically a 19th- century urban legend that became evermore-convenient to present-for-commercialization for the benefit of whoever happened to sponsor the latest made-for-whatever-medium depiction of it.
I suggest you simply enjoy the movie for the 'warm-fuzzies' it contains... or not... "That choice is left up to you."
The English colonists of what had been "New Amsterdam," now New York, had no legend that correlated with the Dutch "Sinter Klaas," wherein Sinter Klaas would visit all the good (Dutch) children, giving them gifts and whatnot. After the English had taken over New Amsterdam, they ended up evolving the Santa Claus legend (and boy... it's a long story) to please their children. The Santa Claus story we're all familiar with in the 21st-Century didn't fully gel until after the Great Depression of the 1930's and, especially, with the "Miracle on 34th Street" film.
I guarantee it had nothing, whatsoever, to do with religion, lack of religion or secularism... or NON-secularism... or even a Christian usurpation of some pagan yule tradition. It is basically a 19th- century urban legend that became evermore-convenient to present-for-commercialization for the benefit of whoever happened to sponsor the latest made-for-whatever-medium depiction of it.
I suggest you simply enjoy the movie for the 'warm-fuzzies' it contains... or not... "That choice is left up to you."