My Ever so Controversial Christmas Blog

"It was a let down. I was in second grade and had suspected there was a cover up for a while. The creepy thing was, I told my mother I knew there was no Santa and she got this peeved look in her eye and said, "Children who don't believe in Santa don't get Christmas gifts". I was stunned. So, I said, "I guess I believe then". With that bit of creepiness, I went on to pretend to believe in Santa for years. Strangest part is that she responded similarly when I stopped being Christian." - Yahoo Answers User Glee

I posed the following question on Yahoo Answers "Santa isn't Real - What was your initial reaction?". I had a combined 57 answers, some serious and some not so much. There were some who said it had no affect on them along with others who became upset because their parents had lied to them. The most disturbing of the answers though, were those who in turn doubted the existence of God. This may seem like a leap in logic to a lot of people but you must remember that we are dealing with children here. Here is a list of similarities that I came up with between believing in Santa and believing in God from a child perspective.

SANTA
If I don't believe in Santa I won't get presents.
GOD
If I don't believe in God I won't go to heaven

SANTA
I've never seen Santa give me presents
GOD
I've never seen God.

SANTA
Santa visit millions of houses in one night. You can't understand it but its true.
GOD
God is everywhere at once. You can't understand its true.

SANTA
People who tell children that Santa isn't real are bad people
GOD
People who tell children that God isn't real are bad people..

SANTA
My parents and friends told me that Santa was real and now I know that they weren't telling the truth.
GOD
My parents and friends told me that God was real but now I know that they weren't telling the truth.

Granted not every kid who is told about Santa grows up to doubt the existence of God. What you have to ask yourself though, putting the moral dilima of lying aside, is it worth it? Here is one more quick story from the answer board.


I can't remember how old I was (probably around 8). I remember I was obsessing about getting my Christmas list done so I could give it to Santa. I was trying to find good paper for it and I was probably annoying my parents to no end. I remember getting a slip of wrapping paper and announcing that I was about to write my list.

That's when my dad told me to come to him. He said that they made up Santa Clause and that he wasn't real. I was devastated. I really did believe in him with all my little heart. It felt like the magic of Christmas shattered before my very eyes. He said that all parents tell their kids the same story. I asked why they would do such a mean thing- to make them believe in something and then tell them it isn't true. He said that it was so parents could give gifts to their children without taking the credit for giving them. I understood that side of the arguement, but I was angry and heartbroken that parents would put their children through that. I asked him why he told me and he said it was because I was old enough to know.

After that, I didn't want to write my list. He told me to do it, though, and so like a good little girl I obeyed. However, the list seemed to be significantly less important to me that year.

It never occurred to me to question the existence of God right then and there, but I did wonder about it later. I mean, if they lied to me about one man doing miraculous things, why wouldn't a supernatural, all-seeing, all-knowing being be a lie as well?

I know it seems nothing, but I really did believe in Santa with every fiber of my being, and that experience was absolutely unforgettable. Since then, I have vowed never to tell my children about him- or at least I would say that it's just a story from the very beginning. Strangely enough, I haven't changed my mind all these years.