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I think it's wrong to teach about Santa Claus since Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, God's Holiest Son Our Lord. Everything else is just heathen heresy, contributing to the downfall of our mighty christian nation, the United States of America.
Yeah, but Jesus was not born in December.
Quote:
Jesus was born in the fall of the year. The census of Quirinius that required Joseph to travel from Galilee to Bethlehem would most probably have taken place after the fall harvest when people were more able to return to their ancestral homes (Luke 2:1-5). Besides, it was customary in Judea to do their tax collecting during this period, as the bulk of a farmer's income came at this time.
I don't care as long as no one chooses to appoint himself or herself as the official "truth teller" to a bunch of little kids.
This happened to my little sister when she was FIVE. She went to a playmate's birthday party, and the mother of the little girl took it upon herself to tell all the kids there that there was no Santa Claus. My sister came home crying, and my mother and all of us older siblings (I was 16) were FURIOUS!!
My three were raised in the 1960s. We told them from the beginning that Santa was a make-believe, fun thing. Not real, but pretend fun. I think they enjoyed the traditions as "pretend" as much as those that were told they were true.
they didn't believe fairy tales, etc. but they enjoyed hearing the stories. Santa was in the same class as Jack and The Bean Stalk.
I did the Santa Claus story with my sons. They were fine until they figured out that there couldn't possibly be a person who could get to every house in one night. They approached me with their doubts.
My explanation? I told them that the fact that I could get the whole house cleaned and decorated; could bake endless batches of cookies; could afford to buy all the special "Christmas foods"; could afford to buy (or make) gifts for friends and family; could get all those gifts wrapped before Dec. 25; and still continue to do the laundry, pack the lunches, take care of all the usual chores = there must be something that makes that possible at only one time every year. You are free to call it whatever you want, I call it Santa Claus. I'm a big believer.
Christmas was a magical time,,, the tree, the bulbs and the lights were usually the same year to year, it was a tradition , bathed in memories,, memories of anticipation,,, some presents were under the tree...before christmas eve ( us kids got to pick out a couple gifts on our wish list..)
we "couldn't wait" for Christmas eve, us kids would watch frosty the snowman, the Grinch...Rudolph....
all wintertime traditions..
the real tree would smell of evergreen/pine, the flashing lights would mesmerize us..
as the holiday drew closer, we would all sing Christmas songs in the school classroom in front of the tree
I don't remember much of a religious component with Christmas....just that it was a very special time,,,
Christmas eve my parents would have a small party/gathering, our cousins would come over,,we'd all get to open one present,,,,and we loved it..
the next morning/Christmas morning ,,us kids were all excited to see the gifts under the tree...
my older siter would pass out presents and we would open them,,, this was like the highlight of the year..not just because we were opening presents,,,but this was our time,,,Christmas is for kids.. we got to play with our toys without being hollered at ,
then later in the morning we would go to my grandmothers house for another tree and dinner,,
the smell of a turkey roasting, snacks and sweets out to eat, all the adults focused on us kids,,,,they were happy for us..
thru the years,,,older family members would die off,,,but we had rich memories of Christmas to cherish about them
still do
yes, santa may be a myth, but even as kids it was just as much about family and festivities,,,
I use to have older step brothers tell me santa doesn't exist,,,i didn't care- I still believed to a certain age..to a kid, you think if you stop believing , you will somehow STOP the Christmastime fun..but then you hear every year,,,how its the Christmas spirit of giving that's really real..
as far as the easter bunny, the tooth fairy...
yeah I did this with my kids,,,because this can be a cold cruel world,,,
if these myths add to a magical time in a child life,,,then that's a great thing!!
sometimes the older we get the crustier and more serious we get,,,, we lose that childhood curiosity, the wonderment, the magic..
if this could be bought,,,we'd pay dearly for it in our older age
and traditions,,,,,which get fewer and fewer,,,ive passed them on to my kids,,,
and hopefully they will pass on to their kids,,, and when their kids ask them what was Christmas like when you were a kid?? they will smile uncontrollably ,,,bathed in rich and fun memories
Christmas was a magical time,,, the tree, the bulbs and the lights were usually the same year to year, it was a tradition , bathed in memories,, memories of anticipation,,, some presents were under the tree...before christmas eve ( us kids got to pick out a couple gifts on our wish list..)
we "couldn't wait" for Christmas eve, us kids would watch frosty the snowman, the Grinch...Rudolph....
all wintertime traditions..
the real tree would smell of evergreen/pine, the flashing lights would mesmerize us..
as the holiday drew closer, we would all sing Christmas songs in the school classroom in front of the tree
I don't remember much of a religious component with Christmas....just that it was a very special time,,,
Christmas eve my parents would have a small party/gathering, our cousins would come over,,we'd all get to open one present,,,,and we loved it..
the next morning/Christmas morning ,,us kids were all excited to see the gifts under the tree...
my older siter would pass out presents and we would open them,,, this was like the highlight of the year..not just because we were opening presents,,,but this was our time,,,Christmas is for kids.. we got to play with our toys without being hollered at ,
then later in the morning we would go to my grandmothers house for another tree and dinner,,
the smell of a turkey roasting, snacks and sweets out to eat, all the adults focused on us kids,,,,they were happy for us..
thru the years,,,older family members would die off,,,but we had rich memories of Christmas to cherish about them
still do
yes, santa may be a myth, but even as kids it was just as much about family and festivities,,,
I use to have older step brothers tell me santa doesn't exist,,,i didn't care- I still believed to a certain age..to a kid, you think if you stop believing , you will somehow STOP the Christmastime fun..but then you hear every year,,,how its the Christmas spirit of giving that's really real..
as far as the easter bunny, the tooth fairy...
yeah I did this with my kids,,,because this can be a cold cruel world,,,
if these myths add to a magical time in a child life,,,then that's a great thing!!
sometimes the older we get the crustier and more serious we get,,,, we lose that childhood curiosity, the wonderment, the magic..
if this could be bought,,,we'd pay dearly for it in our older age
and traditions,,,,,which get fewer and fewer,,,ive passed them on to my kids,,,
and hopefully they will pass on to their kids,,, and when their kids ask them what was Christmas like when you were a kid?? they will smile uncontrollably ,,,bathed in rich and fun memories
some of my oldest memories are from Christmas's
Great post. I still rather enjoy Christmas stuff but as I've gotten older I love Thanksgiving more than Christmas. I guess it's the whole family coming together and being thankful for what the year has given you.
I was actually pissed at my parents when I found out. I think I was only about 7, but another kid, younger than me, told me. I think I was mad that they let me believe longer than the younger kid did. Looking back, I was pretty young. Meanwhile my 9 year old still believes. At this point, I hate perpetuating it because it feels like lying now.
I always kept up the fantasy, and I still do. We never made a big announcement that Santa wasn't real. Of course nobody really still believes, but we always talk about "what we want from Santa" and Santa still fills stockings on Christmas Eve. We like the pretense just as much as ever.
We talk about Santa as fun, not as like a real person or anything like that. He is just a figure associated with the Christmas time. But we aren't like making up stories about him or acting like he's real.
I always kept up the fantasy, and I still do. We never made a big announcement that Santa wasn't real. Of course nobody really still believes, but we always talk about "what we want from Santa" and Santa still fills stockings on Christmas Eve. We like the pretense just as much as ever.
I agree. I still give gifts in the name of Santa to my soon to be wife, and I'm almost 40. She just laughs However, my sister and I had a big disagreement about this issue. She is a very religious person, the most religious woman I have ever met, and attends the Pentecostal church three times a week, does Bible study in the home, attends retreats etc, etc. She doesn't even have any friends who are not her religion. I am an atheist. She has two sons, and is a superb mother. I don't interfere with the way she raises them, but she can tell if I don't agree by my silences.
Right after Christmas, when her oldest was just two years old, I asked her if she took him to the mall to sit on Santa's lap. She told me, "I already told him Santa Claus isn't real." I thought that was really sad that she continued to indoctrinate him in an overly religious household, but already took the myth of Santa away from him, but of course she has the right to raise her sons in that manner if she chooses. They are wonderful children, and any mom would be very proud to have them.
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However, my sister and I had a big disagreement about this issue. She is a very religious person, the most religious woman I have ever met, and attends the Pentecostal church three times a week, does Bible study in the home, attends retreats etc, etc. She doesn't even have any friends who are not her religion. I am an atheist. She has two sons, and is a superb mother. I don't interfere with the way she raises them, but she can tell if I don't agree by my silences. 
