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Original poster

Does anyone NOT go to see Father Christmas?

52 replies

FinnMcMissile · 10/10/2019 23:09

For those of you with primary age children or younger...

DH was asking me if what where we should go to see FC this year, and I was just half thinking of not doing it this year. Mainly because I almost think it ruins the magical/mystical side of it. Does anyone else agree, or am I just being a grump? Last year we did a big and expensive day out to a winter wonderland. Previous years we just saw FC at a garden centre (bit rubbish) and the town hall (surprisingly good and no queues!)

DC are 5 and 2 for context.

OP posts:
HJWT · 11/10/2019 07:59

We always go to centre parcs in December so see the Santa there, DD is 3 this year and is really into it all so can't wait to go and see him! I just do it for the pic so I can see how much she has grown every year Blush

Barbarara · 11/10/2019 08:23

I agree. Santa should be distant, mystical and mysterious. But I found it hard to avoid. He turns up at groups and at school. You see him in shopping centres and train stations and even in our local park once.
The only reason we started visiting a grotto was to find a really good one.

puppymouse · 11/10/2019 11:04

DD would rather do anything I think. She hates dressed up people/costumes/masks and has been quite clear with me since she could talk that it isn't the real Father Christmas anyway Confused

notso · 11/10/2019 11:45

There's a charity one here that used to come round on a float, it was always a bit of a spectacle with loud music lights and throwing out sweets for the children.
Last year he was in the back of a transit van! Felt incredibly wrong seeing children encouraged into the back of a van to see a stranger who gave them some sweets.

DogAndCatPerson · 11/10/2019 11:47

We never did.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 11/10/2019 12:02

We always take the DC to see Father Christmas, it’s just part of the Christmas fun. This year we’re having a weekend break away to see him and staying at Chessington. Previous years we’ve done Legoland, Disneyland Paris, Winter Wonderland and Poulton‘s Park. Also have National Trust passes and do Christmas activities there.

Maxineputyourredshoeson · 11/10/2019 12:36

We’ve been a couple of times but in all honesty I do find it a bit of a waste of money. Neither of my DD’s ever wanted to speak to him or even pose for a picture.

We did do the polar express in Calgary, my dad lives there and we went one year for Christmas. That was absolutely amazing. FC was the best I’ve ever seen and even our DD’s were in complete awe. He gave everyone, adults included, a silver bell.

My DD’s are almost 10 (Christmas birthday) and 7 so a bit older now - and I’m 99.9% sure they don’t believe, they worked out the tooth fairy a long time ago. But still talk about the FC from the polar express.

WagtailRobin · 11/10/2019 15:02

I went every year to see Santa (local shopping centre) and had my photo taken with him, as did my siblings. I don't have children as of yet but my nieces/nephews have all been taken to see Santa yearly, most are grown up now but we still have five little ones and out of the four of the five who "understand" three go to see him but one is frightened, so her parents have never forced her, she just doesn't go.

For me personally it's a family tradition, we were always taken to see him and my siblings have continued the tradition with their kids.

Pippapotomus · 11/10/2019 17:42

We don't do Santa. One year DD was terrified of the idea of someone coming in at night, so it was jokingly suggested that Spiderman would come instead with his friend the Christmas Dinosaur. Sadly the dinosaur stuck, and we have a raptor deliver gifts, in a not too serious way. We pick something nice from the butcher to leave out. Last year we got zebra, and the dog participates in the magic of making it vanish.

MutedUser · 11/10/2019 21:23

This will be the first year I am not going to do a Santa visit. The little ones will see him at nursery and the older ones don’t think for a second that the local one is the real Santa so don’t see a point.

pallisers · 11/10/2019 21:27

3 children and did it once in all the years - because we happened to be there and I asked if they'd like to (fairly low-end shopping center near us, defintitely not a magical winter wonderland experience). I don't see the point tbh - he clearly isn't santa.

We did have Santa in July at our local boat club though - one of the guys would dress up and he'd roar in on a motor boat with a couple of elves and the kids would line up to have a photo taken with santa and get a present. That was a bit of fun. All the photos of santa I have, the kids are in their bathing suits.

Thatnovembernight · 12/10/2019 07:21

Did it last year as I felt I should give it a go. It was ok but won’t bother again - they weren’t that excited about it and forgot about it as soon as we got home. They had the same level of excitement about seeing FC in a grotto in IKEA which didn’t cost anything and he gave them a sweet each!

cccameron · 13/10/2019 08:33

@YouSirOweMeOneNewHat where is the steam train? Sounds fantastic!

avocadotofu · 13/10/2019 09:51

We don't. I think it's creepy and children I know don't seem keen on it anyway.

YouSirOweMeOneNewHat · 13/10/2019 11:59

@cccameron I used Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway but, if you google, there are loads up and down the country.

Brilliant experience! So festive.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 13/10/2019 12:09

We've never made a special trip or spent more than £2.50, but have visited Santa at the Church Christmas fair, and at a local living museum place, which is a Tudor Building and super-festive.

mmgirish · 13/10/2019 16:24

We don't go. My oldest wouldn't go and put off my youngest.

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 13/10/2019 16:25

We did used to. I think the dc were 7 and 9 the last time we went.

CarWreck · 13/10/2019 16:26

I never did as a kid and have never taken my kids. I don't think it's very fun tbh, queuing with toddlers to sit on someone's lap. DC1 would be asking a LOT of suspicious questions anyway.

Pipandmum · 13/10/2019 16:27

Did it two or three times. They never thought it was the real Father Christmas but liked the idea of it. But it wasn’t a tradition.

helpmum2003 · 13/10/2019 16:27

We never did it. I found it too commercialised.

mnahmnah · 13/10/2019 16:28

I agree with you about it spoiling the magic abs raising too many questions. Every year I think we should do it, but then the cost and the queues put me off. Our local national trust place has a Father and Mother Christmas Day in their entrance collecting donations for the food bank, so we’ve made do with that when we go to do the Christmas trail

PrincessHoneysuckle · 13/10/2019 16:38

I've never took him.He saw Santa at a playgroup Christmas thing once and said "mummy why has Santa got a fake beard on?" Hed see straight through it.

IvinghoeBeacon · 13/10/2019 16:48

Well my son will be 20mo this Christmas so pointless at that age, but I hated the whole Father Christmas grotto thing as a child so if I can avoid it I will. When I was small we did enjoy a Father Christmas who used to come on a pony (with antlers attached!) and trap through the village on an evening a few days before Christmas. That was quite magical as you would see him in the distance with lights and bells and he would wave as he passed and a helper (not an elf!) would give the children a bar of chocolate each. I think it was for charity. It was very brief and quite fun waiting to hear the pony and trap approach

Kaykay06 · 13/10/2019 16:54

We did the school fair Santa who was actually my boys gp and lived in our village so they liked to go and felt comfortable with him but that stopped a few years ago they don’t want to go now @ 8&9 but still believe and my older boys 14/18 do to Wink

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