As a child, did your parents/guardians tell you that Santa brought you gifts at Christmas?

[Nye Bevan]

61 votes, 6 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, and I'm happy that they did
	50 (82%)
	Yes, but I wish they hadn't
	7 (11%)
	No, but I wish that they had
	1 (2%)
	No, and I'm glad that they didn't
	3 (5%)
	6 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[GummyBearz]

1. I am glad 100% agree with me

[Beringia]

2. My parent did not

but I can't imagine if they did, how I would feel. I might have liked it or might not.

[Xipe Totec]

3. My first introduction to critical thinking nt

[Snobblevitch]

4. I do not remember specific talks about Santa from when I was young.

Of course I remember the story of how Santa gave gifts to children. I could not figure out how he got into our house since we had no chimney. I finally decided that the front door was left unlocked.

[logosoco]

5. yes and around the same time

my mother was teaching me (through the Catholic church) about God and Jesus. Helped me a lot to think about things I was learning and how to use critical thinking and logic. I guess it did not turn out like my mother had planned!

[liberal N proud]

6. My dad was a Santa

When he was in character you could not tell who he was. Adult friends of his couldn't tell it was him.

So I know Santa brought me gifts.

This time of year, I wish I had the talent he had to do what he did. Santa is the perfect ideal for children to learn compassion and giving.

[meow2u3]

36. Did you see your mommy kiss Santa Claus when you were a kid?

I had to mention that. Couldn't resist.

[liberal N proud]

40. Yes

And then I became chief elf when I was old enough to drive.

I would drive him around to make personal visits to children, parties and nursing homes.

[MasonDreams]

7. It was the first BIG lie.

The tooth fairy was not big. Santa was bigger, GOD was biggest. My emotions were manipulated, my critical thinking and logic were contradicted. Respect your children don't lie to them.

[hobbit709]

12. Death on Belief from The Hogfather

[Hekate]

25. That is it exactly. Pratchett is one of the wisest humans who ever was. nt

[Dorian Gray]

30. For goodness sake!

[LanternWaste]

59. It's also a good idea to teach one';s children the difference between dishonesty and speculation

It's also a good idea to teach one's children the difference between dishonesty and speculation, else they may grow into dogmatic adults who lack sincere curiosity because they maintain the pretense of absolute knowledge over what does or does not exist in our vast universe.

[RandySF]

82. .

[elias49]

8. I was a product of the times and the place.

Grew up in a Boston suburb in the 50s. To the best of my recollection, everyone I knew did the Santa Claus thing. Sure. Santa brought gifts. Or coal in your stocking.

"You better not shout, you better not cry
you better not pout, I'm telling you why.."

..because you might get coal for Christmas.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Nope, but they did not tell me about Hanukah Harry either

so there.

[Bad Thoughts]

10. No, nor Mother Nature, nor Lady Justice, nor Libertas

I'm not sure why anyone would be damaged by a personification.

[hobbit709]

11. I was usually threatened with the Krampus.

[Dorian Gray]

31. The Krampus is coming

The Krampus is coming!!!

[Thor_MN]

13. They told us that if we peeked through Grandma's front curtians,

the reindeer would poop in the driveway.

[Orrex]

14. My parents made me swear a blood oath

I vowed that I would posture myself as a Protector of Truth, and that I would self-righteously condemn any parent whom I judge to have committed the greatest sin of all, lying to a child. Nothing on Earth could possibly more harmful than allowing a young child to believe in a benevolent folk myth, and shame on any vile parents who presume to raise their children in a manner contrary to my righteous decree.


Oh, wait--that's not true. I'd be an asshole if I did that.

[sakabatou]

15. Nope, as my family is Jewish

[Go Vols]

16. I figured it out at around 6 yrs

I thanked my momma and daddy quietly away from my sister as I didn't want to fuck it up for her.

Edit: Sky Genies seem to be less harmless when you know the truth early on.

[me b zola]

17. As a child I was told that I came from the cabbage patch

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Yes,

and to this day I remember arguing with my girlfriend Jennifer when she told me Santa Claus wasn't real. I was probably six or seven, and we were playing in the school yard at recess. Funny how some memories stick with you for over 60 years.

[SMC22307]

19. Yes, and I still managed to grow up to be a productive member of society.

We'd leave a plate of cookies and glass of milk for Santa, and carrots and a big bucket of water for the reindeer. Very happy memories...

[ManiacJoe]

20. Unfortunately, the number of presents dropped off

when I stopped believing.
Never mind that Santa's handwriting looked exactly like mom's very distinctive writing.

[romanic]

21. Yeah.

I kind of got the hint around the age of nine when I secretly stayed up one Christmas night and saw no fat man in a red suit sneaking in. But I know my parents were just bringing a little magic to my childhood and I appreciate that.

[underahedgerow]

22. Yes, although very early my critical thinking brought reality to bear. That being said

I think there is something important for children to have magic and fantasies and fairy tales in their lives when very young. My absolute best most favorite treasured memory is making my daughter's early christmas mornings something very special and magical. I never did over the top 10 million presents, some holidays were very skint, but we still managed to make it incredibly special.

I grew up really crappy with depressed angry parents and a depraved brother. We had no magical moments in my house, that's just how it was. So when I decided to have my daughter I was of a good age to know what was possible to make a great childhood, and devoted myself to making sure she was really grounded, but knowing that all things are possible. She's turned out great, now age 22 and doing very well.

When she was little we didn't have a lot of money, but each year I would start filling my coin jar by spending only paper money each day and putting all the change in the jar. By December I would have nearly 400 bucks saved up, and if in the early Fall I would find good gifts, I would dip into the jar if I needed to.

As I was buying gifts early at a good price, I would start seeding our little chats with things she could add to her christmas list... 'Gosh that Angel Barbie is so pretty! Should we add that to your christmas list?' Worked a treat, she was convinced that Santa rocked! Yes, the evil horrible mother I was indulged commerciality, Barbies, Disney, the works! (she still turned out fine. I really tried gender neutral toys, but she wouldn't give them the time of day. If it wasn't pepto-bismol pink, it was a waste of money. *sigh*)

By the time she was 5 or 6 though, I knew there was a danger of the other kids spilling the beans, so we had our Santa chat. What I did though, was tell her to never, ever tell other smaller kids that santa wasn't real, that she had to keep their little dreams alive. We have to share the magic you see.... even if it's only for a short while. I think believing in magic when we're young enables us to see all the other possiblilities when we're older. We have to believe that anything is possible...

Merry Christmas.

[Hekate]

24. I'm glad to hear you did that. My mom's impoverished childhood taught her the opposite lesson...

....about Santa and fairy tales in general. She was a good mother, but was of the opinion that children should not believe in magic, and could be very sarcastic on the subject of concepts like Prince Charming.

I decided my little ones could believe in Santa all they wanted to. They figured it out soon enough.

In a flame bait thread earlier yesterday I quoted from Pratchett's book Hogfather, same one as the movie clip in this thread. Terry Pratchett has it exactly right, imo.

[peace13]

34. Love this.

Merry Christmas!

[JI7]

23. yes, and we were not christians either

[get the red out]

26. Yes

And I remember being afraid to let my parents I didn't believe it anymore because I perceived it to be important to my Mom that I did. I made the mistake of telling other kids I still believed, I was trying because I knew Mom didn't want us to grow up; and I was humiliated over and over for it.

Gift giving with love is a nice thing to share with kids (i don't have kids, but enjoy it with nieces and nephews). But Santa, at least past a very young age, maybe not.

[applegrove]

27. The stocking were the most important because Santa

always put an orange in there to remind us of hard times during WWII when one single orange a year was as close as they got to sugar.

[B2G]

45. We always got an orange too. nt

[The2ndWheel]

28. Yes

I don't even remember when I figured out there was no Santa, nor do I wear that particular realization as a badge of honor. Life is bullshit, what can you do. I can remember one Santa bringing gifts memory, and it's nice. On the list of things that have ruined me, the Santa lie isn't on it. Everyone is different though.

[merrily]

29. Santa actually handed me presents. So, I

(much) older sister.

I had a bachelor Uncle whose name was, as luck would have it, Nick. He was very generous to his nephews and nieces. On Christmas Eve, we all went to his home with our parents. At some point, Santa walked in with a huge sack of presents. I was afraid of that Santa because his face seemed odd. (a mask). But I knew he was the "real" Santa and the spiffier ones around town were only dressing up at Santa. So no one had to tell me anything.

However, when my (also much older) cousin Johnnie meanly and pointlessly told me it was Uncle Nick, I was heartbroken.

My sitch didn't fit any of the poll options.

[ileus]

32. Childhood shouldn't be fun....

Mine did the Santa thing, and my wife and I did. Our kids have already outgrown it without harm.


The whole whining about Santa thing is just another load of bullshit by bitter people.

[cwydro]

69. Bingo.

Some very bitter folks around here.

Sad.

[peace13]

33. When my son was growing up each Christmas Santa had a special wrapping paper.

Santa brought a few gifts and they were wrapped alike. The rest of the gifts were from family and friends. My son was bright and compassionate and he would not have understood if Santa had brought him a pile of gifts while other children got very little.

[boston bean]

35. Yes, and we watched him come up from the cellar and put our presents under the tree and drink milk

and eat the cookies we left out. Our mother would come up and wake us up and line us up on the stairs to watch.

I learned Santa was not real in a dark closet when hiding in there with my older sister, who told me Santa was my father.

She was always mean like this! I cried! haha

But I still look back with fond memories.

[Vinca]

37. Yes and I've got wonderful childhood memories because of it.

I remember when I was about 6 and discovered the truth by watching the Christmas tree from above through a floor grate. As I recall I wasn't upset at all and thought my father trying to put toys together was funny. My dad broke the Lionel train set, too. (The one that would now be worth a fortune . . . LOL.)

[bigwillq]

38. Yes. I'm glad they did.

They gave me some magical holidays. Still do. Santa is real.

[tazkcmo]

39. We made our gifts.

Mom and Dad would buy a couple toys or some clothing but we were under no illusion some fat dude would break into our home and leave us stuff.

[Iggo]

41. I wish they hadn't, but it worked out okay in the end.

Once I realized there was no Santa Claus, a path was clear to the realization that there is no god.

So it wasn't necessarily a completely bad thing in the long run.

[Javaman]

42. kids need that...

it's healthy for development.

what's not healthy is continuing that kind of belief into adulthood.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

43. Big guy? Red suit? Drinks a lottta Coca Cola?

Yeah - I know him. He brings some of the presents.

[whatthehey]

44. Sure. Never believed that crap and just made them liars though.

I always shake my head sadly at people who stupidly think that the only way to have "magic" or "wonder" in childhood is to lie to them. There are thousands of wonderful magical tales that fire any kid's imagination which we all tell AS tales not as supposed truth. Hell Disney makes billions from doing so. Do you think any of the millions of kids with, say, Lion King quilts thought that Simba was real? Did they seem to miss the magic even so?

[Maeve]

46. Yes...and no

Santa wasn't the biggest part of Christmas and gifts came from many sources (and we bought for our family and friends from an early age), so his 'reality' wasn't a big deal--we learned the 'we all have to be Santa' lesson early on.

Our kids didn't like the idea of Santa coming into the house, so we explained that he delivered the gifts, like the UPS guy the kids were familiar with, and we stayed up to take the delivery and put things under the tree. Our kids figured out that we were buying them when they found the stash of presents one December. They also knew that some kids didn't have any one to 'play Santa' for them, so local 'giving trees' were part of how we celebrated the season, too.

[CTyankee]

47. Of all of my childhood traumas (mostly my parents arguing, which I hated) believing

in a magical fellow that brought me presents at xmas was not to be found on the list. All I can remember is that I slowly learned as I got older that there was no Santa Claus. It had no adverse affect on my psychological well being.

[Nay]

48. No, and we continued that tradition with our son. He was fine with it. We did

have to tell him that some of his little friends still believed that Santa was real, and he should not tell them that he wasn't. They'd find out soon enough.

[Octafish]

49. What's wrong with bringing some happiness to a child?

They'll find plenty of reasons in the world to be unhappy about when grown.

[whatthehey]

54. What's wrong with honest happiness

Kids still seem to be perfectly happy both listening to fictional stories told as fictional stories and receiving openly given gifts with no make-believe origins as I was as a child. Why do we need to conflate the two?

[Octafish]

65. What makes that more honest than mine?

I'm proud to write that my kids all are honest adults.

[whatthehey]

66. More honest than telling them Santa exists? Are you REALLY asking that???

[Octafish]

68. Gee. I guess that was dishonest of me.

My point is that there was nothing wrong in getting my little children excited about the holidays.

As adults, they are honest people.

Why is that a problem for you?

[whatthehey]

70. It's not a problem to me that you chose to create magic for your kids by needlessly lying to them

by pretending that a fat fur-clad guy with flying reindeer breaks into hundreds of millions of homes on a single night. That particular lie doesn't have much societal impact to be honest, with the possible exception of tacky decorations 4-6 weeks out of the year. Others do however, and raising our children to believe nonsense can have seriously deleterious consequences on their ability to distinguish nonsense from reality. It's not that millions of people spontaneously decide that a herb diluted a hundred million times is a better choice for treating cancer than chemo or surgery after all, or just get the blinding flash that a Canaanite warrior god and his Jewish zombie son/self will cure their kids from a burst appendix by the magical power of prayer. They believe such bullshit because they trusted the parents and surrogate authority figures who filled their heads with that garbage.


Far far fewer people would be credulous marks or get away with being dangerous charlatans if people were instructed in appropriate critical thinking and taught to keep fact and fantasy separate as children.

There is nothing wrong with fantastic magical tales and imaginative make-believe. Not as a child or an adult. I enjoyed and still enjoy both enormously. But it's at best a terrible disservice to confuse them for reality or cause others to be so confused. Keep fairy tales, please, but keep them AS fairy tales.

[Octafish]

72. Thanks. I understand you now.

Last edited Thu Dec 17, 2015, 07:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Mind you own fucking business.

[PassingFair]

75. Rude! nt

[whatthehey]

86. And I understood you already

Stop peddling woo bullshit and pretending you are being sensible,

[justiceischeap]

71. My parents told me Santa brought me gifts at Christmas

Until my father thought while I was in first grade that it was time for me to know the truth. I was devastated that Santa wasn't real and had resentment towards my father for ending that fantasy.

Sometimes some kids have shitty home lives (like I did) and having this fantasy that there's this really good guy out there that will give you special gifts for being especially good isn't a bad thing--for some kids it may be the only good thing in their lives at the time.

I think we have a problem where we deny children the belief in magical thinking. IMO, it's magical thinking that leads to a wonderful imagination, not dishonest adults. I had plenty of dishonesty in my household that didn't relate to Santa Claus--the best man I knew as a kid until I didn't.

[FSogol]

61. +1 n/t

[LibertyLover]

50. It made Christmas fun

What we did with our daughter is told her that Santa brought her one or two,presents, and we wrapped them in different paper. She knew mom and dad gave her the rest. During the Santa years, we lived in a house with no fireplace, so we had a key ornament that we hung on the front door on Christmas Eve and told her,it was magic. Since I am Wiccan, she understood about magic. On Christmas morning the key would be on the tree where Santa had put it when he was finished with it.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

51. And when I figured it out, I was thrilled to keep the secret

from my younger siblings. It was great conspiratorial fun, and I remember that it was the first "secret" my mom and I shared. I loved it!

[Nye Bevan]

52. You feel so important and grown-up.

I was the oldest of 4 so well remember that feeling.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

53. Yep!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

[ScreamingMeemie]

55. As a grownup, my dad STILL does.

Every present he's ever given me is from "Santa."

[Orsino]

56. I dimly recall it being fun, but wish I'd not been lied to. n/t

[Iggo]

57. No, they did it as adults.

Phew!

[2naSalit]

58. Started out with it but

by the time I was six, that all went by the wayside and we never mentioned Santa again... even with the three who were born after me.

[Facility Inspector]

60. I thought Santa rode a Harley

[Tommy_Carcetti]

62. Santa brought the stocking stuffers. Family gave the big presents.

This actually lead to an awkward moment as a kid when one of my teachers asked everyone to tell her what Santa brought them for Christmas. Other kids (who I'm assuming their parents told them Santa brought the big presents) were talking about all the bikes and video games and cool toys they got from Santa, while I was talking about the pack of Hershey Kisses and set of playing cards and stuff.

[hunter]

63. That Reindeer roast on the Christmas Dinner table must have come from somewhere.

And I think I saw Grandma apologizing (in that never-an-apology manner she had) to some old fat guy wearing a red suit, scribbling him out a hand-written ticket for the Mexican bus north. The drivers of the Mexican Bus always felt sorry for anyone who'd crossed Grandma. They also knew she was good for the fare.

Whatever year your family had an especially bad Christmas, that may have been it. It sure as hell was a very bad Christmas for Santa.

It seemed to me at the time there should have been more reindeer meat added to the homestead freezer and smoker, but maybe Spot ate the rest.

Spot has never accepted strangers landing on our roof in the middle of the night. I'd always feel a bit uneasy whenever I noticed helicopter parts in his poop, or the more durable bits and pieces of guns.



Let's just say that it's all for the best Doug usually slept through the Christmas Eve chaos.



You never ever want to see Doug when he's angry, and he's not terribly fond of Christians who always ruin perfectly delightful pagan celebrations with their Christian nonsense.

My childhood Easter stories are much the same as my Christmas stories.

What's cooking, Grandma?

Rabbit.

[Omaha Steve]

64. I was a mall Santa for years

Loved it.

[mythology]

67. I was told Santa didn't exist

The same for the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny nor was I allowed to go trick or treating. In a note unrelated note, I haven't talked to my dad in over 14 years. It was very indicative of who he is. He can't imagine that he could be wrong or that setting your kid up to be abnormal is a bad thing.

Granted he had many other larger flaws, but they stem from his ceaseless assumption that he was so much smarter and better that he couldn't be questioned.

[SheilaT]

73. When I was a kid I believed that Santa

brought the presents to us. I'm a third child of six, and the year my older sister was informed that Mom and Dad were really Santa, she couldn't wait to tell me. Certainly spoiled that Christmas for me.

But all of you who think that telling kiddies about Santa and the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny somehow makes them incapable of critical thinking as adults are simply wrong. Because kids young enough to believe those things aren't going to be engaging in real adult critical thinking. They simply aren't capable of that at such a young age.

I still love Christmas, and I'm quite sad that as an adult there's no "Santa" out their to bring me gifts. Alas!

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

74. Sort of yes

My parents never told me any stories about Santa, but they would put "From: Santa" on some of the presents. I also left cookies and milk for Santa too. I think I learned about Santa from TV and other kids. Definitely the "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" show... I think that's what got me into Santa as a kid. I loved that show. My parents played along until I was old enough that I wouldn't believe in such fantasies anymore. I see nothing wrong with indulging kids with their childhood fantasies a little. I do the same thing with my youngest son, who is 6. He actually seems to believe in Santa more now he is older and going to school. Probably because kids talk about Santa with each other at school. It only lasts a short period of time. Most kids don't believe in Santa by the time they are 10. It is cute while it lasts. I prefer to not make a big deal out believing in Santa or not believing in Santa. I want my kids to learn there is more to like about Christmas than just Santa. I also put some "From: Santa" labels on a few presents, but Santa usually gives less than Mom and Dad.

[smirkymonkey]

76. Yes, and it made me happy. I just remember the sense of

happiness and wonder I had on Christmas eve. I am not quite sure when it occurred to me that Santa didn't exist, however it was not traumatic to finding out the truth. You just gradually know until you know.

[dhol82]

77. Just have to say that

I did not originally have Santa. My parents told me about Father Frost. Over the years he melded with Santa.

[greatauntoftriplets]

78. My 4-1/2-year-old great nieces like to pretend they are dogs and horses.

A bit of make believe is a fun part of a child's life...or should be. Santa Claus is part of that.

[SouthernLiberal]

79. I don't think they did.....

I kind of picked it up from my older brother. I figured it out for myself when I was about 4. That didn't bother me, and I didn't tell my younger brother, or my older one, either.

[Historic NY]

80. I thought it was the guy kissing mommie.......

[RandySF]

81. Are we seriously going to have a Santa debate?

What's next?

[Nye Bevan]

83. The DU admins could add a clause to the site rules prohibiting that.

This clause could be named the..... you know.

[Liberal_in_LA]

84. I wasn't scarred by it

[a la izquierda]

85. Yes and I had a messed up childhood...

Last edited Fri Dec 18, 2015, 09:34 AM - Edit history (1)

so I hoped until well past it was reasonable that there truly was a Santa, because it meant there was good in the world.

[yuiyoshida]

87. No, My family is Buddhist

We never celebrated Christmas..