Santa Clause

[ally704]

captaincatholic:

I learned that there was no Santa Claus when I was 7 or 8, but I had known before then. In fact, I always thought that Christmas was more fun when I was allowed to help with the wrapping, rather than to have to pretend that I didn’t know that Mom and Dad did it on Christmas Eve!

I am very tempted to teach our children from the very beginning that the gifts come from us, and from other people who love them, and give in the spirit of Christ and His Mother, who gave wholly of themselves, holding nothing back. Also, we may delay our family gift exchange until the feast of the epiphany, which is when the wise men offered their gifts to the Christchild. Any thoughts?

Oh-- about St. Nicholas, I think we might celebrate his feast day with the traditional treats and/or small gift in the shoe, but I don’t think we’ll try to make him seem connected to Christmas!

I think this is a great idea. All children react differently to the news that Santa is not real. My daughter believed until she was 12 years old and was heartbroken when she found out. I have a six-year-old, and DH and I are wanting to tell him what is “real.” In my case, for the past year or so, I have come to hate “lying” to my child’s face when asked a direct question about Santa. I hate lying by omission about Santa as well. I don’t care if there are good intentions behind it. A lie is a lie, and we teach our children this. I want them to believe me when I teach them things about our Catholic faith, which most often times is based on things that are not seen. I do not like the idea of lying about something that relies on faith that is NOT real. Everyone has to do what they feel is right for their children. I just do not feel that lying to mine is right. Christmas time is a beautiful miracle in and of itself, and this is the only miracle we want to focus on.

 

[deb1]

ally704:

I think this is a great idea. All children react differently to the news that Santa is not real. My daughter believed until she was 12 years old and was heartbroken when she found out. I have a six-year-old, and DH and I are wanting to tell him what is “real.” In my case, for the past year or so, I have come to hate “lying” to my child’s face when asked a direct question about Santa. I hate lying by omission about Santa as well. I don’t care if there are good intentions behind it. A lie is a lie, and we teach our children this. I want them to believe me when I teach them things about our Catholic faith, which most often times is based on things that are not seen. I do not like the idea of lying about something that relies on faith that is NOT real. Everyone has to do what they feel is right for their children. I just do not feel that lying to mine is right. Christmas time is a beautiful miracle in and of itself, and this is the only miracle we want to focus on.

I think that if your child is pointedly asking if there is such a thing as Santa then it is time to sit down and have a conversation with him. As far as your daughter, it seems to be that the older the child is when they find out, the more difficult finding out becomes. I, personally, think 8-10 is the time that a parent should sit down with a child and explain what Santa actually is. I think that letting them figure it out for themselves has the potential to be devastating.

 

[deb1]

One thing that iritates me with parents, is when they tell their kids that they will no longer get gifts when they stop believing in Santa. Don’t these parents want their children to come to them when they discover that there is no Santa? Do they want the kids to just pretend that they believe? I have never understood this type of reasoning.

 

[ally704]

deb1:

I think that if your child is pointedly asking if there is such a thing as Santa then it is time to sit down and have a conversation with him. As far as your daughter, it seems to be that the older the child is when they find out, the more difficult finding out becomes. I, personally, think 8-10 is the time that a parent should sit down with a child and explain what Santa actually is. I think that letting them figure it out for themselves has the potential to be devastating.

I agree that the older they are the harder it will be, especially since we went through it. I guess it just depends on each child though. As for my six-year-old, he is already asking me point-blank if Santa is real. It’s definitely time for the “sit down.”

 

[Nance]

CatholicSam:

That’s pitiful Poor little kids–they’re so trusting of their parents. My parents regretted teaching my brother and me about Santa. I think we’ll stick with St. Nick when teaching our little ones. I’ve also heard about a children’s book that reconciles the idea of Santa with St. Nicholas that I would be very interested in getting for my son when he’s a bit older. Anyone heard about it or know what it’s called?

I agree…we did the same thing.
Our children were told about ST Nicholas and Santa is the secular rendition of it … they handled it no problem

 

[Eileen_T]

And some people think Advent is short for Advertising.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season, not Santa Claus. I prefer teaching about the Shepherds and the Three Wise Men.

We give presents because a small gift as a symbol/token of love and appreciation is in order in our family.

I taught my children that it is more in keeping with the Spirit of Chrtist and Christmas (& St Nicholas, the original Sinta Claus) to give alms. I also took them to our local Rest Home to visit those who had no family or friends coming (and not only at Christmas).

They knew that other children believed in ‘Santa Claus’ and they were not to say anything, it was up to their presents.

We didn’t believe in the Easter Bunny either.

 

[BLB_Oregon]

A few stories.

My older siblings used to get a “visit from Santa” from a dressed-up relative that was nothing short of terrifying. This “Santa” pounded on the front door, and when he was let in, he interrogated the kids on their misbehaviors and told them they had better shape up if they wanted to be in his good graces at Christmas. This was in the days of “be bad, and you’re going to get coal and switches for your behind.” Thank goodness that “tradition” was gone by the time I came along. If you’re too young to be culpable for your sins, you don’t need that!

I watched “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” with my six-year-olds today. They asked me point-blank, “Is that the real story of Santa?” I said, “No, it’s a story someone made up about Santa… but it is a very good story, anyway, don’t you think? It is about nasty, scary people becoming nice because someone was brave enough to be nice to them first, it’s about someone deciding not to give up when the bad things that other people did made it look as if the bad would win, and it’s about honoring the holiness of Christmas by being good and doing good without repayment, just for the sake of the good. Those things are all true. And it’s fun. Someday, I’ll tell you the real story of Santa, don’t worry.” (I have always said that I have not personally seen Santa, and thought that people who said they had were pulling our legs for fun.)

My niece, when she got the “truth” about Santa Claus, immediately asked, “I suppose you’re going to tell me there’s no Jesus, either.” She was greatly relieved to find that the stories she had heard of Santa were fun exaggerations of a real person and that Jesus was real.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, renowned for the generosity, compassion, and secrecy of his gift-giving. It is entirely appropriate to involve him in the children’s traditions that surround Christmas. When our kids someday ask if Santa is real, I’ll tell them that it is their turn to not to believe in Santa as little kids do, but to start following St. Nicholas’ example of giving in secret, for the sake of doing good. (Matt. 6:3-4).

That is what “believing in Santa” is really all about, isn’t it… to give children the joy of receiving secret generosity? Getting that is how you know how much good you do for someone when you give the same to others. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”…You bet your black boots there is!