Genuine question from a "non-Santa-person"

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

I am from a different - lovely, family oriented, gift giving etc. - Christmas tradition:
Aren't children in the "Santa-domain" at (pre-)school taught about the different ways christmas is celebrated all over the world? So that this 'Santa not being literally real' wouldn't come as such a shock? (I've just read about a very sad little girl.)

My DC in kindergarten had English playmates who were visited by Santa, Italian playmates who got presents on the 6th of January, Copts and Russians who followed a different calendar and Muslim mates who got presents at Seker Bayram...

Sensible. I never taught mine about Santa except that it was a tradition in some places. Never said there was such a person as Father Christmas. I think Christmas is magical for children without lies.

No. Children in England (don't know about anywhere else) wouldn't be taught about other sorts of Christmas celebrations at pre-school. Santa is kept up through primary school as late as possible IME.

I don’t see how pre schoolers would understand that tbh. Some people have father Christmas and some don’t? Total confusion

I don't think it's specifically taught as such.
My German friends in my English town give gifts on St Nicholas and Christmas and I assume they both officially come from the same saint. Don't think the school has told the parents not to tell the children it's two different traditions but they haven't said it is either.

I really don't like the whole Santa thing, what it has become anyway, so that might just be what I do with my own!

My friends whose children have questioned this based on their friends having different traditions or not celebrating Christmas due to religion have told the children that santa buys presents on behalf of the parents. So the parents give santa a budget and he surprises them with what he brings the children. If the family don't celebrate Christmas then they don't need santa.

I will probably use this same idea when DDs older. I think it's a good way of explaining why some children get more or less presents as well. Does take some of the magic away but kids also need to understand that the presents cost money.

I don't like the idea of telling them he's not real. They're only young for a short space of time and it's not hurting anyone. I've yet to hear of an adult that's been traumatised because they were led to believe that santa was real.

Good point OP. We have Nordic and Mediterranean friends and family so it's very clear that some get their presents on the 24th and some from the befana etc. Don't get the Santa obsession.

@WeaselsRising
@Caprisunorange
But what about all their little playmates from different traditions?
Don't they talk about this? About Befana, who was late for joining the three wise men? About Santa Clause who was not invented by Cola?

I remember when I was small I had (picture)books were different traditions were presented - with legends, food, songs etc. they came out around Christmas. I had those for my children, too.

My DC were not forced to grow up early because there was no "Santa", but DS tried to rope in Befana bec. auf Italian family.

I don’t think they really do talk about it tbh. Potentially the other children’s traditions are drowned out by the Father Christmas excitement. But my Dcs best friends are Italian (had no idea Christmas was any different there, certainly the Xmas eve celebration in parts of Europe wouldn’t cause any confusion) Chinese, Russian and Pakistani and its never really come up?

No idea who Befana is and I'm an adult.

At school, children may hear about Diwali and Hannukah.

I think children are just quite accepting. If you’re told James is Jewish and doesn’t celebrate Xmas it doesn’t really seem to cause a Father Christmas issue in young minds, ime anyway.

When my kids' very diverse school did different religions in Reception, there was a bit of tactless 5yos telling others they'd go to hell and shock and horror at others saying gods were made up, which all got resolved into "different people believe different things" within a couple weeks.

Then in Y1 they compared who brought Christmas presents and it led to fisticuffs in the playground, to the amusement of kids from different religions. Took a good term to settle down!

I don’t see how pre schoolers would understand that tbh. Some people have father Christmas and some don’t? Total confusion

To be fair, the children at our infant school do understand this.
They know that some of the children in their classes don't celebrate Christmas in the same way as they might, and that FC only visit those who celebrate Christmas. We have a large population of children who don't celebrate Christmas in the same way. The children just seem to understand it, or at least don't question it.

It always makes me smile though that even those children who don't have FC at home still get excited when he visits school in December to drop off some gifts for the classroom.

Yes sorry I’ve realised I contradicted myself- initially I thought Op meant explaining all the different ways people do “the dude that brings presents” but as the threads gone on I’ve realised it’s more about different religion and cultural traditions

We don't really talk about or teach other traditions regarding Christmas though. We cover other religions throughout the year.

We don't actually teach them about Father Christmas/Santa either, though he does come and visit us with classroom gifts and they can visit him at the school fair.

@Caprisunorange and all of you
Thank you all for explanining this to me.
If those differences aren't really discussed or talked about, then I understand why a DC to discover the truth can be such a desaster for the child in question (and lead to fisticuffs at school) and an additional stress for the parents, too. I felt really sorry for the little girl and her mother.
I hope I can now read these threads with a better understanding.