How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?

[Douglas Carpenter]

I've been asked to play Santa Claus for a work-related Christmas Party coming up soon. A fine gentleman and respected physician I work with offered to loan me his Santa Claus outfit for the upcoming occasion. When I was trying it on at his place the other night he casually mentioned that we need to hide what we are doing from his twelve-year-old son who is lurking around because he still believes in Santa. I thought that was a bit odd that a twelve-year-old would still believe in Santa Claus. But, chatting about the subject with some friends of mine - I have found more than a few who are sure they still believed in Santa Claus at twelve and some of them are sure their children still believed in Santa up to that age.

Maybe it is just me and the time and place I grew up - which was in two different small rural towns in upstate Western New York and Northwestern PA - but I am absolutely certain that I ceased believing in Santa Claus by the time I was six and was in the first grade. I cannot image or remember anyone believing in Santa Clause by the age of ten when I grew up. But maybe this is a change in how children are raised or maybe it was just peculiar to my particular circumstances.

6 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	I never believed in Santa Claus
	2 (33%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Claus before age six
	0 (0%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Caus before age seven
	1 (17%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Claus before age eight
	1 (17%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Claus before age nine
	1 (17%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Claus before age ten
	0 (0%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Clause before age eleven
	1 (17%)
	I stopped beleving in Santa Clause before age twelve
	0 (0%)
	I stopped believing in Santa Clause before age thirteen
	0 (0%)
	What do you mean stopped believing in Santa Claus? His existence is a proven fact. I saw him just recently at the mall
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[hrmjustin]

1. My brother told me the truth when I was in fifth grade.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. I remember finding where the goods were hidden in the basement....

wasn't looking for them, just happened upon them - and didn't peek (still don't - I like surprises still!)

[pipi_k]

7. Have never

peeked as a kid, and still don't...like you, I love surprises.

Half the fun is wondering what's inside the pretty box.

[NightWatcher]

3. Spolier Alert????

Dude, you're getting a lump of coal for sure.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. I will trust that no one under the age of 13 who still believes in Santa is reading this

[Arkansas Granny]

4. I quit believeing in Santa Claus before I started school, but I hung onto

the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny for a few years after that, for some reason.

[Scuba]

5. I was four, and very pissed off at my parents for lying to me and making me look dumb(er).

[Xyzse]

6. I honestly don't know.

The way Santa was explained to me was that he is the guy that tattles on my parents to see what they would give me.
Meaning, if I were bad, I'd get told on, and I won't get anything. That idea didn't last long, I just remained appreciative of the trappings.

[pipi_k]

8. Honestly

don't remember how long I believed in Santa.

Maybe up to 9 or 10?

In any event, whenever it was I stopped believing, I never said anything to my parents. Didn't want to ruin it for them.

Plus, self-interest at play...if I tell them I'm on to the whole Santa game, does that mean "he" stops bringing me presents? No way, baby!!!

I still believe! Yes, I still believe!

[LumosMaxima]

9. I was two when I told my parents I didn't believe in Santa.

I don't remember ever buying it, and I have a few spotty memories going back to my first year of life, so my best guess is that I never believed.

My parents were horrified. I think they would have been bewildered even by a normal child, but I kept doing things like not believing in Santa Claus that they were really not prepared for. They had no idea how to relate to me.

[bigwillq]

11. Maybe 9 or 10. My sister and I found the "Santa" presents

I had no problem with Santa not being real because I still got the presents.

[Locut0s]

12. Not sure I ever believed strongly. But somewhere between 10-11...

I totally lost my belief. I can remember the day I went up to my parents and said "Santa Clause doesn't exist does he?".

[Major Nikon]

13. The same time I stopped believing in Jebus

[No Vested Interest]

14. Not exactly sure - likely six or seven, maybe five.

The thing that happens is that one loud-mouth schoolmate always finds out sooner and broadcasts to the rest of the class. I guess I was not especially traumatized, in that I don't recall the exact moment.

Also, I had a younger brother and a baby sister, so I would have been urged to keep the "secret" for their sakes.
We still have color films ( back in the 40's) of some of those early Christmases, and I do remember the some of the gifts received - a muff made of bunny fur, a beautifully furnished doll house, (the baby sister broke many of those pieces), and bathrobe with a terry cloth hood.
It was all a very innocent time.

[loli phabay]

15. you basturd, you killed my dream

[Kaleva]

16. If Santa(s) weren't real, they wouldn't be in news articles like this one

"A gang of drunken "Santas" caused merry hell across central Auckland yesterday, robbing stores, tagging buildings and assaulting security guards."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10360490

Or video recorded fighting in the streets:

[raccoon]

17. About 10 or 11, and I was pissed off that I'd been lied to. I decided if I ever had kids, I

would NEVER have them believing in Santa Claus.

I think in families where trust is already an issue, the Santa Claus lie is a biggie.

[eShirl]

19. I was around the same age, very pissed and also embarrassed.

My first reaction to my parents' admission it was all a fraud: "What about the Easter Bunny??"
SO embarrassing...

[mnhtnbb]

18. I can still remember sneaking out of my room on Christmas eve

when I was 7 or 8 to see my dad reading my letter to Santa and laughing
with my mom by the fireplace. It hit me rally hard...THEY were Santa.

What a disappointment.

[greatauntoftriplets]

20. What???

He's not real????

[lunamagica]

21. 34 years old. I was chrushed, but thought about it

and I'm thankful to my mom for the time I believed

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. I think I was in about first grade, but it didn't bother me

when I figured out that Santa was really my parents, because it was all a big, fun game, and I got presents. I think I understood somehow that they were pretending to be Santa to make Christmas more exciting for us kids. We all kept pretending in order to keep the game going - they knew that I knew, so I became part of the conspiracy to keep Santa real for my little brother.

[tabbycat31]

23. 5th grade (so 10)

I found out because of an error on my parents' part. They were getting me an American Girl doll for Christmas this year and they had written a letter to my grandmother telling her what doll I was getting and to get an outfit for her.

I saw the letter.

[trof]

24. 8 or 9 maybe. I found the presents.

Mom had a great explanation about Santa being the Spirit of giving, etc.
It was a soft let down.

[AuntFester]

25. What are you implying? Santa is as real as I am.

[liberal N proud]

26. When Santa tells me he's not real, I will stop believing.

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. Never have.

Kinda feel sorry for the rest of you.

[Liberal Veteran]

28. I think I found out about how babies were made first...

...then the shocking revelation of Santa shortly thereafter.

The mechanics of the former was more mystifying than the latter.

[NNadir]

29. Every year I tell my sons, aged 19 and 14, that this year, I'm going to catch...

...that fat elf, I'm going to tie him up in front of the fireplace, climb up on the roof, steal my rich neighbor's toys, then go get all the non believers up and show 'em what I caught.