Santa?

[Broken Irishwoman]

We never celebrated Christmas with presents and everything here, just a tree and good food, so naturally I never believed in Santa.

However, I did believe in Sinterklaas, which is basically the same concept. I really believed that he came into my house, rode on the roof with his horse, and that he knew everything. I even believed that his horse drank the water I left for him with a suuuuuuuuper long straw while standing outside, when we lived in a flat.

[Einhornbaby]

I remember myself being really confused about it all. I tried to believe since I was a very dreamy/faraway kid (not sure if its the right word sorry) and I loved everything concerning magic and fairytale like things. But... it wasnt easy...

When I was little there were at least four different stories different family members told me. Christkind (german), Santa (you know that one, lol), Svatý Mikuláš (czech, St. Nicolas) and Ded Moroz (russian, Father Frost) and all were different and somewhat scary (at least the czech equivalent to Santa... *shivers*). My family is a mix of way too many cultures I think, lol.

My daughter for example didnt really believe in it back then. Shes totally different from me in general; while I was into stories of magic and fantasy she prefered to hear true facts. Shes 13 now and has been showing austistic features from an early age on. Magic and fairytales have not been a thing for her really.
When she was really little, family kept telling her about Santa (well at least they all agreed on the same story ) and she liked it for a while. It didnt last long though, lol. When she was about 4 I think she came to me asking me dozens of questions about Santa including things like "How old is he" and "What does he feed his reindeers for this amazingly long journey" and "What kind of sleigh could carry presents for every kid in the world when she herself already got such a load of things last year". Yeah, the more questions she asked the more difficult it got for me to find answers... and then she finally said "Its isnt real, right? It cant be. He already was a really old man when you were little, so how could he still be alive now?" I finally gave up and answered that at least it was a nice fairytale but she said "I dont like it, its nonsense." Yeah and that was it. No magic, no more tales. Ok for me, to each their own

[Stormness_1]

I actually just saw a really great video on facebook about how to transition between believing in santa, and understanding that Christmas is about giving and Christmas spirit. This lady would take her child as they started to doubt to a grown-up sort of brunch, and explain to them that they have grown up so much this year and that they think that they are old enough to take on the responsibility of being a santa. Each year they get to pick a person, either from their family, or a neighbour or friend, and they get to be their santa - they have to sneakily research what they think they need for Christmas, and with adult help, they get it for them - but the recipient can never know it was them, because it's not about getting credit, it's about the joy of giving. If it's for a child, they need the child's parent's permission, etc, and they get to help give their sibling the santa talk when it's their turn to 'become a santa' too. That way, Santa isn't a lie, it's a surprise, and a form of Christmas spirit, and I personally think it's a really great idea. No, there isn't a fat old man coming into the house, but he's just a symbol of giving, goodwill and happiness!

[northstar3184]

I actually just saw a really great video on facebook about how to transition between believing in santa, and understanding that Christmas is about giving and Christmas spirit. This lady would take her child as they started to doubt to a grown-up sort of brunch, and explain to them that they have grown up so much this year and that they think that they are old enough to take on the responsibility of being a santa. Each year they get to pick a person, either from their family, or a neighbour or friend, and they get to be their santa - they have to sneakily research what they think they need for Christmas, and with adult help, they get it for them - but the recipient can never know it was them, because it's not about getting credit, it's about the joy of giving. If it's for a child, they need the child's parent's permission, etc, and they get to help give their sibling the santa talk when it's their turn to 'become a santa' too. That way, Santa isn't a lie, it's a surprise, and a form of Christmas spirit, and I personally think it's a really great idea. No, there isn't a fat old man coming into the house, but he's just a symbol of giving, goodwill and happiness!

I love that idea.

[ladybastilla]

I actually just saw a really great video on facebook about how to transition between believing in santa, and understanding that Christmas is about giving and Christmas spirit. This lady would take her child as they started to doubt to a grown-up sort of brunch, and explain to them that they have grown up so much this year and that they think that they are old enough to take on the responsibility of being a santa. Each year they get to pick a person, either from their family, or a neighbour or friend, and they get to be their santa - they have to sneakily research what they think they need for Christmas, and with adult help, they get it for them - but the recipient can never know it was them, because it's not about getting credit, it's about the joy of giving. If it's for a child, they need the child's parent's permission, etc, and they get to help give their sibling the santa talk when it's their turn to 'become a santa' too. That way, Santa isn't a lie, it's a surprise, and a form of Christmas spirit, and I personally think it's a really great idea. No, there isn't a fat old man coming into the house, but he's just a symbol of giving, goodwill and happiness!

This is beautiful. I still remember the first year my Dad took me shopping to choose presents for my brothers. I bought them Darkwing Duck and Megavolt figures. Also remember the first year my youngest brother got to shop for me. He chose Squall and Rinoa figures from FF8 and I still have them.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Santa is Anonymous in our house.  Anonymous for Good!

I will admit we default to Sinterklaas ,Nordic Elves and the Unseelie Court when pushed for more tradition.  Also Svalbard is a real place and they really do raise reindeer in Lappland.  :-p 

[Haruna]

I think a little relieved, actually, that some random strange man wasn't walking through my house at night.

My parents never taught me that Santa was real because they wanted me to know that they would always tell me the truth. With my personality I would have been crushed to find out someday that they had lied to me about that, so I'm glad they didn't say he was real I do remember an argument when I was 5 with a classmate where I insisted saucily that Santa was not real. Poor guy; hope I didn't shake his belief too early.

I don't think families that say there's a Santa are necessarily wrong, though. It probably comes down to how you do it and what personalities are in the family. I remember grilling one of my friends about how he felt when he learned there wasn't a Santa; it wasn't traumatic for him at all.

[Mewtwofan1]

(Please don't laugh at me...) I never actually realized the whole jolly old Saint Nick santa thing wasn't real until grade four, when I was about 9 and 1/2. And when I did, it was during a novel study, and the book was set during the Great Depression. The children in the novel hoped that because they were really good and times were tough, santa would give them extra special gifts. When they woke up, there were no gifts because they couldn't afford a gift. There was no santa. It was just mommy and daddy spending money to make you happy. So that was when santa was exposed for me. How about you guys?

[tulagirl]

(Please don't laugh at me...) I never actually realized the whole jolly old Saint Nick santa thing wasn't real until grade four, when I was about 9 and 1/2. And when I did, it was during a novel study, and the book was set during the Great Depression. The children in the novel hoped that because they were really good and times were tough, santa would give them extra special gifts. When they woke up, there were no gifts because they couldn't afford a gift. There was no santa. It was just mommy and daddy spending money to make you happy. So that was when santa was exposed for me. How about you guys?

Oh my goodness this is just awful.  The 1930's is a favorite decade for me for many reasons minus the depression.  I know a lot of people made things, but many couldn't even do that.  What a sad way to find out there is no Santa.

[LunaMoonCustoms1212]

(Please don't laugh at me...) I never actually realized the whole jolly old Saint Nick santa thing wasn't real until grade four, when I was about 9 and 1/2. And when I did, it was during a novel study, and the book was set during the Great Depression. The children in the novel hoped that because they were really good and times were tough, santa would give them extra special gifts. When they woke up, there were no gifts because they couldn't afford a gift. There was no santa. It was just mommy and daddy spending money to make you happy. So that was when santa was exposed for me. How about you guys?

Oh my goodness this is just awful.  The 1930's is a favorite decade for me for many reasons minus the depression.  I know a lot of people made things, but many couldn't even do that.  What a sad way to find out there is no Santa.

yeah, especially for the kids who lived through that time period..

[lovesbabysquirmy]

(Please don't laugh at me...) I never actually realized the whole jolly old Saint Nick santa thing wasn't real until grade four, when I was about 9 and 1/2. And when I did, it was during a novel study, and the book was set during the Great Depression. The children in the novel hoped that because they were really good and times were tough, santa would give them extra special gifts. When they woke up, there were no gifts because they couldn't afford a gift. There was no santa. It was just mommy and daddy spending money to make you happy. So that was when santa was exposed for me. How about you guys?

Oh my goodness this is just awful.  The 1930's is a favorite decade for me for many reasons minus the depression.  I know a lot of people made things, but many couldn't even do that.  What a sad way to find out there is no Santa.

yeah, especially for the kids who lived through that time period..

Commercial Santa, the way we know it today, didn't start until Coca-Cola started marketing him...  hence why the Great Depression story.

"Coca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom .... in 1931  [to produce ].... Coke ads in The Saturday Evening Post and [they] appeared regularly in that magazine, as well as in Ladies Home Journal, National Geographic, The New Yorker and others."

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/coke-lore-santa-claus

[lostpony]

I don't remember a time when I believed though I am sure there was one.

My mom always kept it going belief or not and never lied to me about it...it was just a fun illusion and disbelieving it didn't make any difference.  We got some presents from family members and some from "santa" and of course I could tell whose were which by the handwriting...almost all of which was my mom's but sometimes a remote family member's gift got under the tree as "santa".

I never found the hidden presents, and we used to have fun watching the crazy "modern" stories about how Santa gets in through the stovepipe because there's no chimney etc...seems to me there were some specials explaining about how he now comes through the door etc.  I think it was something about a lockpicking elf but can't remember anymore.

My mom used to make me a christmas stocking even long after I was an adult, full of candy and silly little toy cars and such trifles and I kept that stuff forever.  I really miss her.

I've known for a long time that Rudolf was an invention of Montgomery Wards and wondered who started Santa...thanks for filling me in, lovesbabysquirmy, and for ruining christmas!  Santa might be imaginary but Rudolf is real darnit!

Seriously though, we should now debate the Easter bunny cuz that one's real.