To think parents who do this are hypocrites

[Cazzovuoi]

I'm so sad for all the kids who will miss the magic of Santa because parents don't want to lie to their kids.

It's a bizarre concept to me that you think letting your kids believe in a wonderful magical, mythical person is lying yet, if you are religious, you actively teach them to believe in a malevolent, omnipotent, all powerful, cruel being so controlling that he takes attendance on Sunday.

At least Santa was a real person.

FC was what made Christmas magical for me, it was never quite the same after I found out at around 10, I'm glad I had that and I don't understand why others wouldn't want that for their kids. My neighbours don't do FC and I remember at school their kids were really confused when their teacher did santa videos for the whole class, I felt really sorry for them.

@earthyfire

Like I was the subject of a stupid prank that everyone else was in on
Well, you and (pretty much) every other kid in the world? Hardly a conspiracy to make a fool of you personally.

We told our kids that Santa was a real person a long time ago and we make believe together that he is here again and magic.
So whilst they know it’s make believe they still enjoy all the fun side. Them knowing it’s pretend, but acting along anyway much like with other stories or pretend games hasn’t taken any of the joy away.

Jew here. You are being unreasonable.

P.S. Santa is pretty creepy in my opinion.

If people were traumatised I can only think that their parents took it too far.
We did Father Christmas, left a carrot and a mince pie out for him and Rudolph , listened out for his sleigh etc.
I realised it wasn't actually real when I was about 5 or 6 but still felt excited and carried on for my younger siblings. I never felt lied to, it was fun. I think traumatised is a very strong word.

If I had still thought it was real at 9+ I think my parents would have said something .
Some of the comments show very rigid thinking. Not much room for tradition, myth and magic.

I think you are projecting your own feelings on these kids. They might still have a great christmas time without beleiving in santa. After all we only believe in santa for a few years and then some of us still enjoy xmas and find it magical

I teach my child that no matter what she can always trust that everything I tell her is 100% true you're a better parent than me. I've told them the shops don't have X in stock when I want them to stop mentioning it every 5 seconds, that the needle won't hurt very much, that they're the best singer I've we've heard (🙄), that I promise we won't die for ages. I don't think it damages them to protect them and lies like Santa to bring something special once a year

Christ, I believed in Santa until I was about 11 😧 genuinely done the whole sherade of putting out carrots and mice pies etc….

The penny dropped when I seen my swag mega drive in a carrier bag in my mams wardrobe…. 🧐🤫🤔

sega

I think some of this anti Santa stuff comes from a resistance to the recent trend of being SO extra about Christmas. So it used to be 'Santa is coming', you'd leave milk and a carrot for the reindeer and you'd get a stocking and few presents. It was simple and magical and lovely. But now its like a full month extravaganza of lies and commercialism starting with elf on the shelf appearing on 1st December in a balloon with a North Pole breakfast in tow.

You used to just go and see santa at the local shopping centre (if at all) and get a present (colouring book) and a picture. Now it's a weekend stay at a hotel with a Santa experience, I'm not sure what it entails because I haven't been on one but I'm guessing they can get pretty elaborate. There's also Santa trains, there's even a Santa ferry experience I think P&O run.

I could go on, there's magic keys for santa, reindeer food (glittery oats guaranteed to kill local wildlife) etc etc. It's not that there's anything wrong with doing one of these things, or all of these things, I just don't think they're really necessary for Christmas to be magical for children and they turn a small lie into loads of big fat whoppers.

@RandomCatGenerator

This thread has made me feel so glad that I wasn’t the only one who felt so sad and stupid and duped when I found out Santa wasn’t real. It was devastating. I thought I was alone in that.

How old were you?

People who tell the absolute truth 100% of the time are not people I'd like to be around, tbh.
They tend to be socially lacking.

I’m going to get flack for this I’m sure but if your only hardship in life is finding out that your Xmas presents were delivered by your loving parents and not Santa, then you should count yourself lucky.

I can’t be angry about that lie tbh. I don’t hold a grudge that my parents allowed the glory to go to Santa and not them. I still got the presents either way…

What a strange, ignorant and offensive post. I always assume that this kind of thing must be someone pressing buttons to see who bites because I don't believe that anyone is this dim.

I agree SmellyOldOwls . It used to be simpler.
I don't really like the elf on the shelf stuff etc. which is relatively new and all the extra hype.

I agree with SmellyOldOwls.

Christmas, Easter, Mothers' Day: every festival has now been hyped to a frenzy. Add social media and the stakes/expectations seem absurdly high. The irony is that it makes them a source of pressure rather than enjoyment.

We didn't have Father Christmas: but difficult when you live in a bungalow in the tropics without chimneys and fireplaces but with mosquito netting over all the windows. I can exclusively reveal that Christmas was still fabulous.

I had a friend who didn't decorate the house for Xmas until the dc had gone to bed on Xmas eve.
I always thought how magical it must have been to get up on Xmas day with the house transformed.

@GreyhoundG1rl

People who tell the absolute truth 100% of the time are not people I'd like to be around, tbh. They tend to be socially lacking.

Got to agree with actually….

Santa and religion aren’t the same thing…

@GreyhoundG1rl

Not sure what you mean? If Santa brings gifts to children based on how good or nice they are then the nicest children should get the best gifts? I've never known anyone tell their kids they'll get more or better gifts if they've been well behaved, tbh.

You might want to review the lyrics to “Santa Claus is coming to town”

Seriously, it’s a big part of it. Threats about children being given a lump of coal and no presents, etc. You may not tell your kids that, but Santa having a list of good children is a major part of the character.

@Ponoka7

There's lots of Christmas magic, Santa is a small part. I wasn't brought up with Santa because it wasn't cultural. I don't think that I missed anything. Santa can be something to go along with, like scary stories, but the child can know that he isn't really bringing the presents. I think by five children should be starting to be taught critical thinking and a level of why charity is needed. So it's only a small window of belief. We aren't religious btw.

I agree with you. Ì am not religious but not keen on santa lie. Very into making it magical and playing along but with us all in on it

I personally find it a bit odd that the actual "magic of Christmas" I.e. God incarnate coming as a helpless newborn baby to redeem the world isn't seen as "magical" enough and so parents have to make up the santa story, which obviously we all know isn't real.

But I'd never express that opinion to anyone who "does Santa". Each to their own. Let us all celebrate Christmas in our own way.

I refused to lie to mine, they knew about the story of Santa but it was just that, a story. Christmas is what you make it as a family not because of a man in a red suit,

I believed in god but still celebrated Christmas an my Children believed in Father Christmas. The only people who don’t traditionally are Jehovah witnesses and the Jews but they have Hanukkah so their children don’t miss out.
So not sure which religion you are referring to.