Santa?

[SoonerTexan]

One year my then 5 year old sister put candy in our stockings on St. Nicholas Days eve...watching my mom trying to figure it out was priceless. Apparently my sister got the spirit of giving right

I will also add that our family doesn't do a Santa-heavy Christmas. We do a couple, small gifts from Santa, but haven't taken the kids for pictures in a couple years (and have a 3 year old). When we were in Ohio, I loved -- ADORED the Santa at the mall that dh & I worked at as teens. He'd been there for ages, required no "costume" aside from the suit (the fluff, beard and specs were all him), spoke 3 or 4 languages plus American Sign Language, took his time with each and every child even when the line stretched all the way to Terre Haute. I'm pretty sure he is a distant relative of the real guy. I've not found a Santa of similar quality here, and while I don't think that all mall Santas are pervs or that by putting my child on Santa's lap and standing 5 feet away I'm giving them over to a perv, I just haven't been motivated enough to take the kids and wait.

Christmas is hard for me because my mother LOVED it beyond words. In fact, we say she died the day she did because it was as far from Christmas as it could be (June 25th). SHE would be terribly, terribly sad that I don't do Santa in a big way. When my kids ask, I will answer honestly -- I'm sure the boys know but are worried about their present count going down if they out themselves (which it wouldn't). Whatever way you choose to celebrate / not celebrate ... it's not grape soda in their bottle.

[bokelley]

My parent didn't do Santa at all, try and picture cousin eddy from christmas vaca. But dh family did. He still gets me gifts from Santa.

[MissCrabette]

My first memory of "Santa" was me outing him as the neighbor from across the street. My family continued the Santa charade but only as a formality. I don't feel strongly either way, but I think I might do the Santa thing with my future kids if only to see the expressions on their faces. I hope they're more gullible than I was or that I'm more convincing.

[Meenah]

I grew up with Santa and did Santa for my kids. For me, it was "magical fantasy" for the winter holidays and we all enjoyed it. I used to tell the girls that Santa sends mom & dad a bill!!!! Yesterday DH and I took Oliver to get a tree for our house. We also have a menorrah on the table. I haven't put up a tree in several years, but DH, of all people, insisted for Oliver. Neither one of us is religious, but we do celebrate the different holidays in our own convoluted way.

[Vishenka69]

We obviously don't do Santa in our house now but both DH and I grew up with Grandfather Frost (literal translation from how Santa is called in Russian). Such a character existed in Russian folk tales and was then molded to fit the times, similarly to how Santa has evolved through the years. I don't remember what exactly my parents told me about him but I always thought of him as a cartoon/fairy tale character, sort of like Cinderella or Snow White. He lived exclusively in that made-up world, so the whole believing or not believing in him was a moot point.

DD will definitely be exposed to Grandfather Frost but also from the perspective of a fairy tale. Hopefully she won't out the secret of his non-existence to other kids.

[SoonerTexan]

This thread reminds me of this song

http://youtu.be/7E-47VmFopE

I went to a school that celebrated everything-EVERYTHING. Jewish parents would come and cook for us on Jewish holidays, we got Christmas cookies, pretty much every holiday ever invented. It wasn't grotesquely PC though, just informative. My parents tried to do the Santa thing with us but everyone figured out that it wasn't true. We didn't let on that we knew until the 'rents were ready to accept that their kids were getting older.

[Chrisada]

Here's a funny letter a kid wrote to her parents about wanting to know the truth about the tooth fairy. http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.co...now-the-truth/

Lol. When our oldest wondered what the tooth fairy did with his teeth, we just turned it back on him. "What do YOU think she does with your teeth?" His answer was that he thought that she put them in a special jar with his name on it, to keep for him later. DH did the tooth fairy last time and he was so loud. It's only a matter of time before they wake up!

[Ravenclaw]

As to the original topic, I don't understand the super negative /judgmental vibe on the "we don't do Santa" thing. Do it or don't do it, but inferring that peolple who do are basically teaching that their kids can't trust them is a big leap. I don't remember thinking I could no longer trust my mom because she perpetuated tradition that, frankly, I found magical as a child.

ITA. I'm not Christian but went to a Christian school where most years we were the only non-Christians in school. My parents did the fun parts (tree, Santa gifts, Easter egg hunts, etc.) so we wouldn't feel left out. I'm grateful for that. I even had an Advent calendar! My parents would always explain how our beliefs differed: we revere Jesus but not as God so celebrating his birth didn't conflict with our beliefs. Although Easter did. But still they would explain how we were just doing it for fun and what our beliefs were. I thought it was a nice learning experience for us and since we were the odd ones out at school already, it was nice that we could fit in in regards to some things.

DH and I are hoping we will live in a more diverse area after training so our kids won't feel left out and I'm hoping we can make our holidays just as fun. As far as believing in Santa, I have happy memories of that even as a non-Christian!

[Vanquisher]

As to the original topic, I don't understand the super negative /judgmental vibe on the "we don't do Santa" thing. Do it or don't do it, but inferring that peolple who do are basically teaching that their kids can't trust them is a big leap. I don't remember thinking I could no longer trust my mom because she perpetuated tradition that, frankly, I found magical as a child.

I am assuming this was aimed at me.

I didn't mean to infer that people who do Santa are teaching that their kids can't trust them. I only was sharing MY perspective on not believing in Santa. Frankly, I think I get a lot more judgy comments from people who do who are appalled that we don't teach our kids about him and/or that my kids will "ruin" it for your kids like they get some sick joy out of it. So, I don't understand people getting all judgemetal about my not wanting to lie to my kids.

I am an atheist, and I don't like to tell my kids about supernatural things as if they were real. It seems hypocritcal to me. Christmas is still my favorite and my kids' favorite holiday. We have a blast without Santa, without religion, and without lying. It's just not for me.


We have PLENTY of magic though.


My kids sure look sad and dissappointed that there's no Santa.

[HouseofWool]

Shit, Heidi, if I had that haul as a kid, I'd be pretty flippin' happy too!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I wholeheartedly endorse Santa. This year C (who just turned 9) asked if Santa was real. I straight up told him he was. He hasn't pushed too hard, but by next year, I have a feeling I will need to let him in on the big kid side of the secret. I remember how much fun it was as a kid. However, my family went all out.

Every year, we went to my grandparent's home on Christmas Eve. They hired someone to come dressed up in a Santa suit and hand out presents to all of the grandkids. Then, when we got home, the Santa presents were waiting for us under the tree. (It took until I was an adult to realize that my folks weren't really forgetting to grab the camera every stinkin' year.)

I'm not quite ready to let that magic go yet for him. Once he calls bullshit on it all, I will explain that Santa, the person, doesn't exist, however Santa, the feeling of giving and generosity, does. *shrug*

Serious question: If you don't do Santa and you don't do Jesus, why do you celebrate Christmas at all?

[corn poffi]

Growing up in a two-religion household, Christmas was about charity, peace, giving, and the idea of miracles. No Jesus, no Santa, but gifts, food, volunteering, and family. I might be an enormous Scrooge, but there is something special about Christmas, even if I don't believe any of the stories.