What do you tell your children about Santa Claus? I grew up believing in him and my dad always made a point of ensuring he was alive and well in our home. We would leave out cookies and my father would eat them leaving us a note afterwards. Then one Christmas morning I realized that Santa and daddy had the same handwriting. My big mouth said something about it and that was the year I discovered the truth.
I always told the kids there was a Santa. Gifts from him are always wrapped in a plain color wrapping paper with our “elf” telling each child what their color was that year. It was just a way to distinguish the gifts. However, Santa never brought the biggest items. He kept things simple because I wanted them to understand that Santa has to bring gifts to children all over the world. That meant his shop made the smaller items while mom and dad and whoever else bought the bigger items. It was a way to still get a little credit also for the items we do buy.
So what about now that all of the kids are old enough to know the truth? For me, there will always be a Santa Claus. Even if he is just there in spirit because I think he helps bring the spirit of Christmas to our home. As for my ex, I have no idea what he will tell the kids. When they became old enough to begin to really question things I told each of them how presents are gotten. I have always shared the story of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus with them so they already know the basics. I love the idea of Santa Claus and yes I know that he isn’t the reason we celebrate Christmas. However, the story of him is one of love and giving. It is something that we all need a little more of in our lives.
Did You Know?
Santa is 1,751 this year according to Email Santa. Isn’t that crazy? The origins of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk named Saint Nicholas, who was born between 260 and 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. The first reference to Santa Claus in the United States is a 1770 New York newspaper referenced “St. Nicholas, otherwise called Santa Claus.”
Those are just a couple of facts that I thought y’all would like to know. You all know how I am about useless facts. I just love them!
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I’m the only person I know that is very anti-Santa. When I was a kid, my mother told me there was a Santa and insisted on it even when I was questioning his existence. When a girl in 2nd grade told me I was so dumb believing in Santa, I was really crushed. I felt betrayed about being lied to. I vowed then and there I would never lie to my kids about Santa. So my kids have never believed in Santa and they know where their gifts come from. I think the Santa/elves/reindeer story is cute, but I just think insisting on the lie is too much.
I love the idea of Santa. There’s so little magic left in the world it seems, that having this to look forward to was always such a fun and exciting thing.