Is Christmas Ruined Forever?

I always told my kids that Santa was a kind of ninja, who crept around on rooftops stealthily entering homes, and delivering presents, before disappearing like 'a ghost'- you know, keeping it relevant for my bi-cultural kids.

dh66 said:

... That child's reaction when she laid eyes on 'real' Santa Claus for the first time made ME a believer again.

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That's what it's all about.

Children have to grow up too fast these days. There's a lot of crap out there they will have to deal with soon enough. Let them be a child as long as you can. It's good for them and for you.

Hang on everyone, are you telling me that Santa doesn#t exist :eeek:

It's worth thinking about how we ourselves felt when we learned the truth about Santa -- I think it's common for adults to see it from their own perspective and the enjoyment they get out of the Santa myth, rather than really thinking about it from the kids' point of view. How did *we* feel when we learned that Santa was a fiction? Were we bitter, disillusioned, angry, depressed, shattered by the loss of our childhood innocence?

I don't remember feeling that way at all, to be honest. I can remember the precise moment when I realized it -- I was standing in the spare bedroom at my grandparents' house and it was like a light switch flipped in my mind as I put it all together. And my reaction was "ahhh, so *that* explains it." I didn't say anything to anyone because I figured they seemed to enjoy the whole Santa thing, and why should I spoil it for them?

When I was very small, my grandfather told me not to be scared of thunder because it was just the sound of God bowling. I didn't become an atheist when I learned that this wasn't, in fact, true -- and I didn't lose faith in humanity when I learned the truth about Santa. I think it upset my mother, when I finally told her I was onto the whole business, more than it upset me.

LizzieMaine said:

Were we bitter, disillusioned, angry, depressed, shattered by the loss of our childhood innocence?

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Agreed--and I've always thought the idea of childhood as a time of wonder, magic and innocence was a fairy tale by and for adults. Kids are better at detecting nonsense than they're given credit for, and, even though I was a pretty good kid, I cringe when I remember some of the things my classmates and I did.

Whatever the OP decides to do, I can't imagine it's going to ruin his child's Christmas, forever or otherwise, as long as he and his wife are on the same page and they don't flip-flop. Kids know that Peter Pan and Spider Man are just stories, but that doesn't ruin their enjoyment.

I use the Santa myth to its fullest. Most parents have no idea how much leverage there is with Santa. I found a story that mentioned Santa's workshop having a big fire and he needed replacement elves etc. Where does he get them? Bad kids of course. He turns them into elves and takes them to his workshop where they build toys for GOOD kids. Read them the story once and they get the idea. If they don't run away screaming first.
You should see the look I get when I mention one of them getting kind of pointy ears. lol lol They act MUCH better this time of year.

Excuse me but I must disagree ,Saint Nicklaus was ( and is ) a real person ,a Bishop who threw a bag of coins into a house where three girls were going to be sold into slavery to pay a debt, hence toys or gifts to children .
He was secularized by the protestants who did not observe the Holyday ( his feast day is Dec 5th) into Santa Claus and made into the image that we know of today by a Coke a Cola image of him.
Well that's my 2 cents worth so fire away and btw Merry Christmass to you all and remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

fashion frank said:

Excuse me but I must disagree ,Saint Nicklaus was ( and is ) a real person ,a Bishop who threw a bag of coins into a house where three girls were going to be sold into slavery to pay a debt, hence toys or gifts to children .
He was secularized by the protestants who did not observe the Holyday ( his feast day is Dec 5th) into Santa Claus and made into the image that we know of today by a Coke a Cola image of him.
Well that's my 2 cents worth so fire away and btw Merry Christmass to you all and remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

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In Europe, St Nicklaus Day is always Dec 6th. Kids leave a shoe next to the fireplace and in the morning a gift is in it.

I am a bit older than my siblings and when I found out, I turned and used it to the fullest with my siblings, I became an extension of the myth for my mom and dad. I then also, bought gifts with little money that I had for my parents in return.

When I went into the army in 1965 and while stationed in Italy, my unit supported an orphanage and names were sent to us to draw for a gift giving, on Dec 6th we were bussed up to the orphanage to meet our kid to give them the gift that Babbo Natale, Father Christmas, left with us to give to each of them. To most, it was the only gift they received. I have seen the power of a tradition in the eyes of children..... in the eyes of those with so very little.


Dear Editor:
I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so."
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety Fifth Street


VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, VIRGINIA, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance, to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not; but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, VIRGINIA, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Nicholas is the patron saint of children, merchants, and pawnbrokers. Somebody had it figured out all along.

Ghost Rider said:

Hang on everyone, are you telling me that Santa doesn#t exist :eeek:

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Not at all. He is just as real as Spiderman.

31 Model A said:

In Europe, St Nicklaus Day is always Dec 6th. Kids leave a shoe next to the fireplace and in the morning a gift is in it.

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Hmmm...

V.C. Brunswick said:

Hmmm...

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My mother made it quite clear to me that Santa Claus was an agreed upon fiction that required no further examination nor commentary when I was 5 years old and Christmas was approaching. I asked, "Mom, is Santa Claus real?" She shot me a look to make General Patton pee his pants and said, "What do you think?"

It truly angered her that I had put her in that position. It was as though she expected me to be sufficiently worldly at age 5 to know when to play along with metaphorical narratives. And not to ask my mother questions she would rather not answer.

Why do I have the feeling we have been PUNKED?

GoetzManor said:

Am I completely crazy by trying to change things up or am I the only one who feels like Christmas has lost its sentiment?

Proud dad's photo reference:
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Since you asked....

I don't think you are crazy but I also think you are not 100 % on this.

Let me ask you this....

When you were your son's age did you feel this way about Christmas ?

If he was my son, I would let him enjoy it as much as he wanted . Knowing that he will
grow up so fast & probably have the same thoughts as you. But he will also have the
fond memories of Christmas time & most important the folks who made it possible.

Give him a break & let him enjoy it while he can, including Santa Claus...:clap2:

They only get one childhood. Let them enjoy all of it, including Santa Claus.

I was going to say something original along the lines of what 2jakes and Lee rider just said, but they said it for me.
Read each of those again for me.

GoetzManor said:

So I got into an argument with my mother the other day ...

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1) NEVER argue with your mother.

2) ALWAYS listen to what your mother says.

Ssnta's all very well, but personally I think we need Krampmas to make a big comeback, just to keep the kids in check.... (it might be a good thing I'm not a parent).