Don't Lie about Santa Clause!

[Lion]

My personal belief is that it is not a big deal to let children believe that there is a Santa Claus as long as Jesus comes first. If a sinful person such as myself can have their heart melted by watching a child’s excitment at leaving out cookies and milk for the big guy, then I would like to think that Jesus also smiles. Believing in Santa Claus is a lot more benign than believing that Brittany Spears or Michael Jordan are role models (just so you know, I’m not trashing Jordan!). Unfortunately, the media has turned Santa into a “wish-granter”. I believed in Santa as a child and guess what? I don’t think my parents lied to me and I am firm in my belief that Jesus IS Christmas.
People tell children that they believe their dead pet is in heaven; people tell their kids that one day they can be president or an astonaut if they really want; we tell our children “maybe later” when we know in fact we are not going to do whatever it is we’re talking about; people tell their kids all kinds of things that are unlikely to happen (and yes there are always “exceptions to the rule”) and so they lie?.. I just cant seem to get worked up about the idea of telling kids that there is a Santa Claus is a sin. There are so many more heinous sins that I have committed than lying about Santa Claus to a child… those are the ones I worry about. If I do a simple trick (slight of hand which is in a sense a lie) and the child smiles and giggles, then that is worth the time I will spend in Purgatory. Please pray for me!

 

[AnnaTherese]

Tell them the truth and let them enjoy the fun that is associated with the TRUTH. You are absolutely right that most kids do feel let down when they finally discover the truth, and they wonder why it’s okay for mom and dad to lie about this, but yet they can’t lie about things that happen to them. And many times it’s the first step towards losing their faith in God, because if Santa Claus doesn’t exist, and the Easter Bunny doesn’t exist, and the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist, then maybe God doesn’t exist either.

 

[Lion]

Tell them the truth and let them enjoy the fun that is associated with the TRUTH. You are absolutely right that most kids do feel let down when they finally discover the truth, and they wonder why it’s okay for mom and dad to lie about this, but yet they can’t lie about things that happen to them. And many times it’s the first step towards losing their faith in God, because if Santa Claus doesn’t exist, and the Easter Bunny doesn’t exist, and the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist, then maybe God doesn’t exist either.

I do see your point, however I tend to think that if a child begins to believe that God does not exist it is because his or her parents have not spent enough time educating them. Also, the Catholic families that I associate with do not put God in the same category as Santa Claus, Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy. The parents are ultimately responsible for teaching their children about God, not the media, not their school teachers and not even their catechism teachers. It’s the parents…
Even children can differentiate between the different “types” of lies… intention plays a part. A daughter asks her mother to borrow $5.00. Mom asks what happened to the allowance I gave you. Daughter replies, I spent it on lunch at school. Reality is that the daughter is saving and trying to buy her mom a special birthday gift. Santa Claus is a one of the good guys, maybe excessive, but a good guy with decent qualities and a big heart… focus on the positives of the character and teach that to your children, be it Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas or the fat, white-bearded guy two doors down

 

[kleary]

It seems to me that the evilness of lying (not telling the truth) about something goes out the window when people tell little kids about Santa Clause and how he is real and lives in the North Pole, etc etc. I don’t see why we should feed our kids lies because people think it’s one of the “joys” of Christmas for little kids. I say tell them the truth that Santa is just a myth, or better yet, tell them about the real St. Nick who lived back in the 4th century!

Am I being anal?

Aww come on!! I saw him at the mall just a few days ago! My little boy even pulled his beard and he yelled “ouch”!

Santa is definitely one of the childhood joys of Christmas. And the truth behind him- being St. Nicholas- where the legend of Santa Clause comes from is good enough to teach them when they are older- when, like me, heard rumors that Santa wasn’t real then saw the presents hidden in the attic one year—we all did- even my 5 year old brother at the time…and we begged our mom if we could open them and we did- one Christmas eve- and the truth came out…no big deal- we weren’t harmed for life.

The joy I see on my little ones faces…the anticipation of Santa Clause coming on Christmas eve- the excitement I see in them- well Santa isn’t just for kids after all. Long live the legend of Santa Clause!

Ken

 

[mary_bobo]

Have you ever watched children play pretend games, I’m so and so, your this or that, at times they love the fantasy world.

Our priest mentioned to the children at Mass that they need to be in bed early because Santa was coming, it’s all a bit tooth fairy to me, and making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Let children be children, they grow up far too quick, my grandchildren love to hear those stories, “the big bad wolf etc” 3 little pigs.

When I watched movies from the USA, I was Billy the kid, Roy Rogers, sometimes I defected to the Indians.

Anyone that’s gonna tell me I wasn’t Roy Rogers can meet me at the creek down by sleepy hollow, and it’ll be fastest to the draw.

Anyway… **The name “Santa Claus” is an American accented version of the Dutch “Sinterklaas.” St. Nicholas and Santa Claus are the same person, but many people don’t realize that. They are one in the same, but they look different because they are at different points in his posthumous evolution. ** so says this source, but it’s only a theory.

How right you are. It did not damage my psyche to believe in Santa Claus and it did not make me doubt my parents when I found it there was no Santa Claus. Same with my own children and grandchildren. IMO, and it is only an opinion, we are forcing our children to grow up much too quickly these days. The twelve year olds with high heels and makeup look like eighteen year olds. No wonder our teen birth rate is so high.

 

[Lion]

Aww come on!! I saw him at the mall just a few days ago! My little boy even pulled his beard and he yelled “ouch”!

Santa is definitely one of the childhood joys of Christmas. And the truth behind him- being St. Nicholas- where the legend of Santa Clause comes from is good enough to teach them when they are older- [when, like me, heard rumors that Santa wasn’t real then saw the presents hidden in the attic one year—we all did- even my 5 year old brother at the time…and we begged our mom if we could open them and we did- one Christmas eve- and the truth came out…no big deal- we weren’t harmed for life.

The joy I see on my little ones faces…the anticipation of Santa Clause coming on Christmas eve- the excitement I see in them- well Santa isn’t just for kids after all. Long live the legend of Santa Clause!

Ken

[/quote]

 

[pira114]

Wait, now I’m all confused.

Is it Jesus or the Priest dressed like Satan and Dracula who comes down the chiminey?

 

[estesbob]

Wait, now I’m all confused.

Is it Jesus or the Priest dressed like Satan and Dracula who comes down the chiminey?

This was a Halloween mass-I shudder to think what their Christmas mass looked like!

 

[Eireann]

Maybe were looking at it the wrong way, shouldn’t we see it as honouring the good Saint Nicholas ? I know many of the adults here are more excited than the children, waiting to see that expression of wonderment on the children’s faces on Christmas morn, … priceless !

 

[Julianna]

I think we should all get together over Coffee ( Starbucks) and cookies( chocolate chip) sing Christmas carols ( Santa Claus is Coming To Town) around a tree( Douglas Fir) and then hang stockings and wait for St. Nicholas (aka SANTA CLAUS!) to land on our roof and bring us presents. And don’t ANYONE spoil it!
Kathy

Just say where and when Katie…I’ll get in touch with Karianne and MikeWM (see if he can join us…we can pick him up from the airport (he’s is England)…
Karianne, did you leave cookies and milk for Santa at your house?

Hope you had a great Christmas.

Juli

 

[setter]

Just say where and when Katie…I’ll get in touch with Karianne and MikeWM (see if he can join us…we can pick him up from the airport (he’s is England)…
Karianne, did you leave cookies and milk for Santa at your house?

Hope you had a great Christmas.

Juli

This is beginning to resemble the gatherings at the notably liberal parish in our Archdiocese. Though admittedly I do not know if they serve Starbucks coffee after mass, but I would not doubt that is the case.

 

[Julianna]

This is beginning to resemble the gatherings at the notably liberal parish in our Archdiocese. Though admittedly I do not know if they serve Starbucks coffee after mass, but I would not doubt that is the case.

First of all Starbucks coffee is a seldom treat. (it is not cheap). I am not a liberal. Guilty, yes, of having a sense of humor.

 

[jman507]

I like Santa, and as for me and my house, it will be a good lesson. Santa really is my tool against materialism, along with how much it has over taken Christmas. The fact that Santa is not real in a natural sense, means that if Santa is real, Santa is certainly not real in a material sense. Santa is an idea and a myth, and not to mention loosely based on a Saint with a good story and lessons.

Children are not adults and their mental and reasoning abilities are not adults. So this can be a long evolving lesson that meets them where they are at. The little child who might only be able to reason morally enough to be good in order to receive a present, will hopefully be able to grow in their moral reasoning to the point where adults ought to be, to base their moral reasoning of principles of what is good – to be good for goodness’s sake. God wants us to be sorry for our sins, He will meet us where we are at, if we can only do so to avoid the pains of Hell, but hopefully we will be able to meet him at the place where we do it for the love of him and his creation.

In the end you can finally explain that Santa is a good thing though still imperfect. Santa will have to point that he does what he can, but must point further to God. While Santa is good and a good myth, Jesus is Good and the Good Myth – the Good Myth, because it is the one True Myth that became real and incarnate. Santa is good, he can even bring good out of the noncristians and the apathetic Christians. Most seem to see the good of Christmas, even if they don’t know the exactness of it.

The irony to me is that some don’t like Santa because he is not real, at the some time others bemoan the materialism of the season. The thing that has me scratching my head is that, if anyone claims Santa is real seem to be making a claim against materialism.

 

[anamchara]

Just say where and when Katie…I’ll get in touch with Karianne and MikeWM (see if he can join us…we can pick him up from the airport (he’s is England)…
Karianne, did you leave cookies and milk for Santa at your house?

Hope you had a great Christmas.

Juli

Count me in Juli

My youngest daughter is in 6th grade and is still hanging on to Santa, she also has tons of stuffed animals in which she has names for each one, she loves her childhood and wants to keep it and I’m not about to take it from her. Middle school is just around the corner, poor dear.

 

[childofmary1143]

Just say where and when Katie…I’ll get in touch with Karianne and MikeWM (see if he can join us…we can pick him up from the airport (he’s is England)…
Karianne, did you leave cookies and milk for Santa at your house?

Hope you had a great Christmas.

Juli

Can I come too

 

[tee_eff_em]

Karianne, did you leave cookies and milk for Santa at your house?

See, now there’s the thing about Santa Claus – You gotta make the story your own.

In *my *house f’rinstance, the “kids” know that Santa prefers anchovy pizza and beer!

“Ho, ho, ho”
tee
(Or, in some years, just a bottle of a nice, single-malt scotch)

 

[Melchior]

It seems to me that the evilness of lying (not telling the truth) about something goes out the window when people tell little kids about Santa Clause and how he is real and lives in the North Pole, etc etc. I don’t see why we should feed our kids lies because people think it’s one of the “joys” of Christmas for little kids. I say tell them the truth that Santa is just a myth, or better yet, tell them about the real St. Nick who lived back in the 4th century!

Am I being anal?

I am with you. We never made a big deal of it, but we did decide we would not act as if Santa is real and in fact told our children he is not, but he is a fun seasonal character much like their favorite cartoon characters. My oldest, 6 years old, understands but still decided this year she wanted to write santa letters and leave out cookies and milk. She had a blast and so did my three year old son. The 6 year old mentioned Santa to him and he said “But Santa’s not real”. We never even told him that. He just figured it out because he knows, as much as a 3 year old can, what X-Mas is about. We had tons of fun and enjoyed the Santa stuff without having to lie to our kids. In fact I remember when my mom told me the truth about Santa and the Easter Bunny I actually did question the existence of God for the the first time. It was actually quite traumatic. I promised myself my children would never be lied to about it. Good intentions and culture be darned. It has worked out better than I could have imagined. They still enjoy the legend and know that God is real.

Mel

 

[kim3260]

See, now there’s the thing about Santa Claus – You gotta make the story your own.

In *my *house f’rinstance, the “kids” know that Santa prefers anchovy pizza and beer!

“Ho, ho, ho”
tee
(Or, in some years, just a bottle of a nice, single-malt scotch)

Santa prefers sausage gravy and biscuts here.
Ok I’m gonna tell y’all the truth. There is no Santa, the Easter Bunny ran him over when he was visiting the tooth fairy

 

[marlo]

Santa Claus is a product of Coca Cola, it is part of their marketing strategy, they took the fatherly image of saint nicolas and created a costume resembling a new person.

but santa claus is just a story that we can tell to our children like cinderella, superman,snow white, captain barbell and darna. So all about the north pole, raindeer and dwarf are all part of this story. It does not have anything to do with saint nicolas except his FACE.

so when you say santa claus lived in the north pole, you are not lying as superman is from krypton. because you are just telling a story and not a historical fact.

this is why we do not pray for intercession to santa claus but to saint nicolas. its totally different.

It seems to me that the evilness of lying (not telling the truth) about something goes out the window when people tell little kids about Santa Clause and how he is real and lives in the North Pole, etc etc. I don’t see why we should feed our kids lies because people think it’s one of the “joys” of Christmas for little kids. I say tell them the truth that Santa is just a myth, or better yet, tell them about the real St. Nick who lived back in the 4th century!

Am I being anal?

 

[Neo_Canaan]

It seems to me that the evilness of lying (not telling the truth) about something goes out the window when people tell little kids about Santa Clause and how he is real and lives in the North Pole, etc etc. I don’t see why we should feed our kids lies because people think it’s one of the “joys” of Christmas for little kids. I say tell them the truth that Santa is just a myth, or better yet, tell them about the real St. Nick who lived back in the 4th century!

Am I being anal?

No, you is doin’ the right thing. Santa no longer exists. It’s time we put the Christ back in Christmas and learn to tell the truth.