Santa Claus: Yes? No? Sort of?

Well, indeed, there is a Santa Claus. I should know, after all. My legal name is Santa Claus, and I'm a Christian Monk, as St. Nicholas was many centuries ago. Year-round, I serve as a volunteer advocate for the 2 million children in the U.,S. annually who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized through no fault of their own. That's 1 out of 37 children in our great nation. If you'd like to learn more, please visit TheSantaClausFoundation dot org. I believe that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, not the crass, commercial, secular spectacle it has become in many places, and that the greatest gift one can give is love, not presents. Merry Christmas to all! Blessings, Santa Claus.

Hi Everyone have a Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year's

BYE HAVE FUN

Believe in Santa Claus?
Santa (SPOILER ALERT) belongs in the realm of all other imaginary friends. Another example is God in all it's apparently varied imaginings.
Great fun, and totally OK as long as we don't take it seriously. You want presents round the tree?- Don't wait for Santa. And if you want good luck, properity and health? Work at it.
If you are logged on to a computer, fed and literate - you've done well!! ;o>

i will always belive in him and i am 11

Santa Claus is of course real. If he isnt we should still let our children believe. Santa is an idol to them and it also gives them a reason to behave, otherwise they wouldnt care if they were bad.

WE hate yoy because u say santa is not real.WE are 9.

ok santa is the best thing that has ever happened to kids and if you all just going to forget about santa and say ohh i dont want to lie to the kid we get over it if you are a good parent then you will let your child belive let them live and have fun with imagination so there is a santa and belive it or not my hole life my perents would tell me there is a santa and i belied in that and i totaly loved it just think of your childs future i can tell anyone this a hundred times or more dont go and blow it by forgeting about him or all the new babys get them into it come on be a good person i loved it when i was a kid now i love doing it with my kids it makes them so happy so there is a santa for the kids now if you go and tell your kids that there is not a santa then you would be lying i still remember how it was to be a kid and i ahd great perents that told be there was a santa whitch there is one and i passed it on to my kids so to all the kids out there that belive in him that is wonderfull andif yu are not alowed to that sucks!!! but i hope this all tells you that santa is someone special to the kids so dont forget about him
thanks to all that GIVE THERE KIDS A LIFE filled with imagination and fun and a merry Christmas to all!!!

No Santa for this family. We believe in telling the truth. It is a standard for our family. How can our children trust us if we are not totally honest with them in all things? When it comes to truth, there are no such things as "white lies" or fibs. It is either truth or not. Also, giving Santa attributes such as being all knowing is contradictory to what God's word teaches. Only God is all knowing.

I am 33 years old and still believe in Santa. With all the doom and gloom there is in our world, Santa is a bright spot that provides hope to children the world over. I also have 2 young kids that believe in Santa and I would not take that belief away. It is a sad state of the world where parents tell their children the truth about everything. Kids are not allowed to be kids anymore, they must grow up, work hard and face this ugly world younger and younger because we, the adults, think that its the 'right' thing to do. The world was a happier place when children are allowed to be children, and more people believed in Santa.

Merry Christmas

Im 12 and i dont believe in Santa but parents should let there kids believe in Santa. He was real after all he did live hundreds of years ago.But I know he does not deliver presents to children the parents give there children gifts.

I do belive in him but he isnt reall my sister said to me that he wasnt reall that it was mum and dad and i thought how could they put the stuff in my room and not wake me up and then my sister said they do it when your asleep no derr lol thats for listing
abby

I am a christian (southern baptist) and I believe Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ not about some guy in a red coat.

cool story and do you now were i can fined a website about were santa claus is on christmas eve . write back plese thank you

Maychruk also went on to say she doesn't believe in fiction writing, dreaming, or imagination. And she hopes for her children to be well-adjusted actuaries with no aspirations of ever being anything more than average.

The 'catholic' church canonized Nicholas of Myra (what is now Turkey) after his death, for living a life of generosity and selflessness. I've heard that he died in other years, but most are saying December 6th of either 343 or 346 AD. He was actually imprisoned for a while because of his devotion to Christ, but was released by Constantine's decree. He was actually bishop of Myra, and he gave gifts to poor children at Christmas time, raised money for the poor and even raised and anonymously gave away immense dowries for poor men with daughters of marrying-age.

At any rate, he was a devoted disciple of Jesus and lived a life of love and sacrifice that stemmed from a love of humanity and gratitude toward God.

So meh, I think people need to be careful. I'm 24, married, no kids. When I have children, I plan to teach them about the joy and love that the real Nicholas spread around because of his great love for God and his Son.

santa is not real !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think its a bit stupid letting children believing in Santa because it just costs us loads of money ever year. But my child is 12 and she knows Santa isn't real but i have two other sons age 3 and 5 so i told her to write and receive from Santa so they wouldn't get suspicious

i know Santa isnt real and so does all my friends and were 11 but i still write to him and get presents

This is just an ongoing scam encouraged by retail to make people spend money at a specific time of year. Is it really necessary. Personally I don't need to wait for the end of December to buy things. Falls into a similar category as that other make believe character God.

Absolutely no to Santa. Aside from the lies is the fact that this fictional character created by writers, poets, and advertisers has nothing to do with Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us. Simple as that.
Merry Christmas!

Santa Claus is just as real as Jesus is period,Poor Steve was not loved as a child,may his imaginary friends bless him.Do not take people like Steve seriously for his comments come from a wounded child,Merry x-mas everyone.

I say there is a Santa Claus.If there weren't any Santa Claus,(if you think your parents are Santa)why would your parents wrap up a gift for themselve?I'm 12and I believe in him!

I say there is a Santa Claus.If there weren't any Santa Claus,(if you think your parents are Santa)why would your parents wrap up a gift for themselve?I'm 12and I believe in him!

yes

You know what? I love Christmas, and I love to celebrate the fact that on that wonderful day many many years ago our glorious Lord and Savior was born. And on that day the three wise men brought him presents and I am not ashamed to say that my children LOVE Christmas eve and the fact they KNOW without a shadow of a doubt when they wake up the next morning, that Santa will have shimmied down our chimney and left their wishes! Children have to grow up so fast these days and you should cherish the small, little insignificant things that bring SO MUCH joy to them, because one day they will become skeptical adults just like the rest of this crazy world.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

Santa Clause can still be a symbol for supporting charities and for giving without having to be deceitful.
If children knew their parents provided presents, would it take the joy out of christmas? Also, kids would be more greatful and aware if they didn't think presents came free from a jolly man.
Instead of fooling kids about Santa's 'magic' emphasize the joy of the season, whether its winter traditions or religious observances. Children can still have fun and presents, but why put them through the trickery, only to find out later that they believed in something false?

My future family will define its own traditions, rather than buying into a part of our culture I don't identify with.
Tina, 20

Why do we feel the need to tell children the truth about everything. Why cant they just be children like they should be. they shouldnt have a care in the world as kids. There is enough crap in the world for the adults to think about without children having to worry about it to. i was taught that some things are best left unsaid. let them be kids while they have the chance. I had a wonderful childhood with the best christmases ever thanks to my wonderful parents, who taught me about the true meaning of xmas and also the fun magic of xmas. Also Gianna go on norad dot com to track santa on xmas eve. Merry xmas everyone

No Santa Santa? Only God is all knowing? We believe in the fact that Jesus was sent to save us from our sins. Has anyone ever seen him? We only know what we are told and read. Santa is the spirit of all that is good in this world. We know this because it is what we read and are told. Has anyone ever seen him? Yes there is a Santa Claus, and for as long as I am on this earth, my children will be told of the stories of Santa and the spirit of Christmas.

YOU ARE SUCH A LIARER! SANTA
IS REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excuse me Joyce Santa is just as real as Jesus that doesnt make since. Santa is not real he was just a normal guy hundreds of years ago that gave people gold and presents.

Also by the way its Christmas not X-mas.

this woman is a retard point blank. i bet she lies to people everyday. for those that don't identify with it shut up so the one's of us that do can still enjoy it. it isn't your world it's our world. just because you don't believe in something does not mean we can't believe in it.

You know, as i went through those comments, i got disapointed! I am ten yrs old and in 4 grade. But, that won`t stop me from believing in Santa Claus! This post is very harsh,rude,and just goes against Christmas spirit! Just about every kid goes to bed on Dec.24, awaiting for jolly ol St.Nicolas, and here is Cathy Arnst a mother saying she won`t lie to her children. This isn`t lying, it is passing on a legend. And i think it has to happen at least once to become a legend! So Cathy Arnst, you can be reading my comment right now so, You should pass on Christmas spirit and stop putting these horrible posts online! Every adult tells kids (except some jews) that Santa is real, and you come around and say `Oh i am not going to lie to my children`. I cannot believe you will let your children go to thier friends and thier friends will ask if they are excited about Santa Claus and they will have to say that thier mother never told them about Santa. Merry Christmas, and happy freakin New year!

okay i am sorry i flipped but that just is rude.

DEAR:SANTA CLAUS,NEW FAMILY

Kids need something positive to believe in as some kids have a pretty rough life. We are not religious but I do believe in morals and know that my 11 year old daughter (who's dad has passed away and is full of grief) needs something positive when she is so sad. If it keeps her happy and smiling then so what. Christmas is about family and friends coming together to celebrate just how special and important we are in each other's lives. if that means putting an angel on a tree and saying that santa is real than so be it. let their imaginations last for as long as possible as the 'real' world can be cruel and heartbreaking. I miss being a kid myself. Christmas was always full of fun and laughter and my amazing family. the pressies while nice really don't matter as you grow up. you only remember the closness of your family and how good that felt. with families living so far from each other these days, it is so important to have nice memories and to get togehter once a year. It's the best time of year for me and my familiy.

Yes... I am the man in The New York times article. "That Guitar Man from Central Park".

Not a question of belief. He is real. Just one of those beautiful Truths that so many with a closed mind, closed heart or a sleeping or fearful Spirit may never understand. When little Virginia O'Hanlon asked Frank Church of the New York Sun to answer her question she added, "Please tell me the Truth."

He did. Read his letter, word for word. He told her the Truth.

"Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus"

PERSONALLY IT'S BETTER FOR KIDS TO HAVE SOMETHING NICE AND JOYFUL TO BELIEVE IN !RATHER THAN THINKING OKAY LET ME WAKE UP AND GO GET THE PRESENT FROM MOM AND DAD THAT THEY GOT FROM WAL-MART

Santa is REAL !!

I think the lady writing the article is right, studies have shown that many children start misbehaving and develop bad relationships with their parents between the ages of 8-12, one contributing factor is the realisation that their parents have been lying to them about something that was so important, people talk about children needing a positive role model, well what are the parents there for? just to say "if you be naughty santa will not get you any presents" thats just bribery and lies.
Ancient history suggests St Nicholas may have been real and not a myth, a kind loving human being who cared for others and wanted to see children happy... so why not educate children about who he was and what he did instead of pretending he's still around.

i think santa is real and i know he is and if u dont believe in him u r stupid!!!!!!

There's truth and there's truth. We get so caught up in the idea that if you can't record it with a video camera, it isn't true. This ignore then the truths behind poems and stories, the kinds of truths that aren't tied to facts. And cutting these truths out only alienates us from ourselves. Much better to struggle with putting those facts up against the things we feel true in our heart but not in our heads, and let them have, I don't know, a conversation or a dance or something. As a culture, we've gotten bad at that dance; it generally turns into a WWF smackdown. That to me is what times like Christmas and wonderful stories like Santa are for: learning to dance.

Just so you know, I always thought this was a sign of disrespect for Christmas, but evidently I was wrong also:
Xmas
This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.

Santa is the best thing that happeded to the kids and if anyone takes that away from children by thinking ohh lets tell them santa is not real because if we dont than we would be lying and our kids wont want to trust us in any way when i was a kid i found out there was no santa i was happy because my mom and dad let me live that great life and its a shame if people dont belive because he is real!!!!!!!

As a long term scholar of all religions, I have found that there is no evidence of the existence of any kind of deity let alone someone apparently named 'Jesus Christ'! That there is a Santa Claus is just as difficult to prove BUT as this character Jesus brings hope to people, so does Santa albeit only once a year!

Therefore, to say that you are lying to your children about Santa yet not about Jesus is absolutely absurd. Get a grip folks, it's all a feelgood thing!

Molly- Good point about the historical Santa Claus.

I would also like to point out how defensive these young 'kids' that are posting are about Santa Claus. They are defending a world view that they will find to be false as they grow up, which is fine, BUT its causing them stress and anxiety too. Santa Clause is not just childhood joy, but growing pains also. Why tack on another thing kids will be disillusioned about..
Have fun imagining and playing games, but don't purposely FOOL kids by saying 'from santa' on your own present. Tell them the magic in what is real!

i do belive in santa coz on christmas eve i go on dis website called norad and it tracks santa and then type in your post code and it will tell you when he is near your hous. it it a bit clear thet he is real coz i am a light sleeper and if i hear something in the night i will wake up and my mum and my dad can wake me up reallly easily. so basicly he is real
xxxxx

I have three children. When my oldest daughter was 7 years old she asked me: “Dad, is Santa real?” I was unprepared to answer but after thinking for a moment I responded: “No. Your mom and I buy, rap, and place the gifts under the tree with his name on them.”
Within the hour the other two kids (ages 5 and 3) were informed along with my wife, my mother, and my sister. The adults were furious because they thought I had ruined the fun of Christmas for my kids.
Even if I had I was satisfied with my answer, and I still am. I did not want to put a stumbling block in the path of my children to Christ. You see I knew Him at the time and I still have a strong relationship with my Lord and Savior (Sorry Alan but Jesus has a real grip on me). Since I was telling them that Jesus is real but we can’t see Him, I did not want to confuse them by telling them that Santa was real.
All three of my kids (now 16, 14, and 12) have a gripping relationship with Jesus Christ. The bonus is that I did not ruin Christmas for my kids. We went on pretending that Santa was coming each Christmas until the kids naturally grew out of that pretence. They had just as much fun as they ever had before. You see, kids like to pretend; indeed, they are very good at it. All my seven year old really wanted to know was: Were we pretending Santa is real or was Santa actually real. She was fine either way.
In the love of Christ,
-Mel

No one really knows what goes through a childs heart when they see there parents putting gifts under the tree.

I'm not sure if i do or dont belive in him but think of it htis way if your a kid and belive in him you get more prezzies so technically its all for the best....Merry christmas everyone!!!

i know that santa clause is real and kids should belive in santa. people say that if you belive in santa clause you will get extra gifts from him on xmas day which is tormorrow. merry xmas and a happy new year every body.ho ho ho merry xmas .

shut up gianna

bobella says

santa is real
i know he is
i saw him with my own eyes
u r just tricking the world!!
santa DOES exist
i am 45 and i believe beause i saw santa and he gives me presents!!!!!!!!!!!

to all the little kids santa is NOT real.i am 12 and i know for a fact that he is NOT real!!!!!!!!!parents just tell little kids that santa clause is real so they feel happy and have something to believe!!!for the last time santa is NOT real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Melvin... I Have not missed out anything on Xmas because i knew it wasnt realy santa my mom was always honest with me and we have a special bond and when the bad times came we understood why there werent any expensive gifts because we were waiting for some jerk who forgot us.. We understood the true meaning of xmass and enjoyed the time together as it should be. My grandma usualy decorated and had presents under the tree.. And we had loads of fun...

Another thing... Do u realy want your kids to trust stangers (Santa in the mall) go sit on there lap.. And Santa has the same letters as Satan... And if u are christian u know Jesus sat down and said Unto al the childre to come to him.. Santa trying to be Christ Like just like satan... makes u think.. I am a chritian and the true meaning of xmass was alway clear to me and i dont regret it but i would not confuse my children with things that can put them in danger if i can help it... i dont want pedofile dressed in santa suite to kidnap my baby because he thought it was santa.. or someone braking into my home and my child trusting him because i told him santa comes in the house to leave presents.. and my children not knowing the value of gifts cause why should i complain if they break the toys i didn't buy them santa did... but the end of the day it comes down to what u believe works for you and raise your kids accordingly.

santa is amazing dawg. im 13, obviously i dont believe in him. -tears-. but whatevs. my lil 9 yr old brother takes great joy in having a santa gps tracker [[haha]] and watching him pass by florida. i personally think its uberr adorable to see little children write their letters to dear old santa, in hopes of a letter back. heck, i even go to the post office with my brother to drop off the stamped letter to the north pole. so whatevs loser moms..

&&merry christmas to all!!! ;DD

Correction. My sister has pointed out that the adults were flabbergasted; not furious.

In the love of Christ,

-Mel

I am not going to lie to you when
I tell you that it was a very sad day
for me as a little kid when the kids
at school told me Santa did not
exist... I hated them all for that

Why would my parents lie?

I was curious and wanted to find
out for myself

I found out the whole story..

Santa lives in a place where
anything is possible...
This was a man of flesh and bone
who gave of himself
even when he had nothing to give....
It wasn't just a one time thing

Santa did indeed exist --
Santa Clause is actually a
derivitive of the Dutch word
Sinterklaas
which in turn stands for
Saint Nicholas

I could go on and on about this
patron saint and how he was able
change the world through the
kindness and generosity of his
heart--
if only for one day...
but I will leave that up to you

This I will tell you

It was Saint Nicholas that
decided that the birth of one
child was to be celebrated not
just for that one child but for
ALL of the children
and it is that legacy that
lives on to this day...
a legacy of love

I understand perfectly well
your doubts about Santa..
how is it possible that one
man can do what he does in
such a small amount of time?

I see where the math doesn't
add up and the writing on the
wall from all of those that try
so hard to prove that Santa
does not exist ...

but I also know that there were
those that said the world was flat;
that we could never get to the moon;
that it was impossible to fly;
that a black man would never be
president

There are things in this world
that defy all forms
of explanation

No matter how hard those that
try to say that Santa could not
possibly exist there will be
thousands of children who will
find traces of his presence
{presents} under the tree

I know what others will say --
"that is just my parents"

You are right ---
your parents are Santa's helpers
and it's that reason that
they keep these secrets...
out of love

It is that love for you that has
kept Santa alive
and Santa will live through
them so that he can complete
his rounds for Christmas eve...

his gift of love to be shared by
all parents of all children
throughout the world

I understand that it is a sign of
"growing up"
to want to put away all of the
things that we once
cherished when we were younger...

boys will put away their g.i. joes
and little girls will put away their dollies

and it is this reason that
there are those that would say that
Santa doesn't exist - to feel grown up

but he will always be there

and all of your friends who tell you
that there is no Santa will one day
grow up and have children of their
own -- just like you will

and Santa will be there to make his
rounds for them

and your children's children
and their children
will all share in this love

A special kind of love that is
given from your parents to
their child

The question remains --
Does Santa exist?

Santa is alive and well

Santa will outlive us all
and I could not be anymore
happy

because I would not want
to live in a world where
there is no Santa

a world without a Santa Clause
is a world without love

and that is what Christmas is
all about:

love

**

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gBeX2hzhME0
One of the few christmas songs
that actually brings a tear to my
eye... the lyrics say it all

" Fill your heart with love..."

**

santa is real u people im 11 and i dont like u

santa is real
im 11 and to make me think santa is fake makes me cry
i love santa and my parents do not put my presents under my tree cause i herd santa last year (2007) he said hohoho and i saw rudolph in the sky and santa was chewing cookies and i herd his boots. please believe me... i hope he comes to my house this year as santa... not my parents!

SANTA IS REAL!!!!!!!! BELIEVE ME!!!!! I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT SKY!!!!!!

Even if parents know Santa is real, parents could, SHOULD trick their children if their children truly believe in Santa. It might sound like rubbish, but if you believe Santa, there is Santa. And letting a child down would be more demoralizing than lying about Santa's non-existance. (That goes for that lady who said she wouldn't "lie" against her "morals".)

i teach my children about santa... its the thing to do... but before i put them to bed i read to them about the birth of Christ and explain to the what the true meaning of Christmas is all about..... sometimes we forget and get cought up in who gets what and what santa will bring us and we forget to teach them the true meaning...... also the greatest gift comes from our Lord Jesus Christ and thats the true meaning of christmas.... bt i will not spoil the fun however and will continue telling them about santa...... but please keep in mind what the true meaning of Christmas is all about!!!!

Santa is not real. Of course he isn't, but the essence of him is. I am a Christian and I do believe you should teach children that the birth of Jesus Christ is the real meaning of “Christ“ mas along with being with loved ones and showing love. As for actually teaching your children to believe in Santa, I believe you should let them find out themselves about his existence and if they ever ask you a straightforward question about Santa then parents should tell them the truth.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!!

First of all,I'd like to thank the person that posted this. I am 10,in the 5th grade and kind of believe in Ol' St. Nick.....and I also am amazed of how many kids-like Allie(although she misunderstood the post )-read this stuffs.I believe(mostly)Christmas is about joy and family,after all it is Jesus' birthday.I type this before I go to sleep for my "present".......MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's 4:15 a.m. and i've just put the presents under the tree for my 4 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old kiddos. why i had to then sit here and boggle my mind with this debate, i don't know. maybe the answer, when the time comes, is "Santa is a symbol of all that is good" and that is something we can believe in........

I think today's Santa is too commercial. If we are to allow Mr. Clause to continue his legacy it should be as a symbol for all that is good in humanity today - not Capitalism. However, we should not let him overshadow Jesus Christ(I am not a Christian, but still celebrate Christmas because I feel it is important to respect other people's religions). Any how back to the Santa debate.. it's parents opinions about what they tell their own children, but just as i respect other people's religions, please respect other parents opinions about whether or not Santa exists because after all it is everyone's right to instill happiness in their children. Merry Christmas everyone:)

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss he is real because i put uot a note and he read it and commet me back.

I believe in Santa Claus. I am 42 years old, married with many nieces and nephews. Historically, Saint Nicolas was a real person who did good and brought hope to many people. Santa Claus does the same thing today. Yes, he has many helpers and some do a better job than others. And sometimes his helpers are as close as your parents, dear children. Santa Clause is the represents the hope and the joy of the season, the goodwill and friendship of strangers. Is Santa Claus a living person today? Well our first poster in this thread is named Santa Claus and his is real, so I would have to say yes.

Parents, many of you do not want to lie to your children about anything. I support you in your decision but ask that you continue this decision into everything. Do not be hypocritical about anything. SO be totally honest with your child about what you did at their age and at every age as they grow up and be prepared for the consequences. If you are fighting with your spouse or significant other, tell the kids the truth right away, or you are lying by omission. Prevent your children from experiencing Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Speculative Fiction and Fantasy and propaganda in the form of books, movies, comics, cartoons, artwork, music, websites and events, as these are lies as well. If you want your children to grow up learning only "truth" then you need to be vigilant that they experience only TRUTH, and not be exposed to lies in any manner.

What sorts of hopes do many children, and yes, adults, actually have today? Our world is a horrible place with millions of people going to bed hungry every night, living in fear that a random act of violence will shatter the precious existence they have, with jobs and finances based on whims of people oceans away. Santa Claus is that hope. The hope that people can work together a make a better world, if only for one night. The hope that tomorrow will be better and dreams might come true. The hope that when you fall down someone will be there to pick you up.

Yes, I believe in Santa Claus. I know I will never change anyone's mind because people have the right to believe what they want. But I cannot imagine a world without Hope, and Santa Claus is that hope, that light, in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere's dark and dismal cold and long nights of winter.

Merry Christmas to all! May your hopes and dreams come true.

I'm an early 90's kid (22yrs now). My parents made me believe in Santa Claus and I'm glad they did! Some kids in school would tell me, "Santa is fake, your parents are lying to you." They would also make fun of me sometimes. And my response was always along the lines of, "Santa doesn't come to your house because you are mean and always cause trouble in school." Well, I guess they'll never know if that's the real reason! Oh and it's important to note that it's always the mean kids that point out that santa is fake. I never got a good student tell me anything negative.

Anyway, I think people are exaggerating the damage "the lie" causes. Sure it's a lie, but does a little kid really care what the rest of the country thinks? In their little world it's true and that's all the matters. As for the SHOCKING NEWS that they will have later on, it's going to be like, "Wow it was all a lie, but I sure did love it. I'm growing up!"..Come on, who really thinks that kids are going to be like, "Mom, you evil lying woman! How could you lie to your son? And dad, you lying hypocrite, why did you allow this to happen? How could you?!! HOW could you!!!"

What people "should" be worried about is the many lies that people tell daily! The media portraying certain qualities as being better than others. Oh yeah, and the kind of role models parents play today.

One last note, kids are going to have to learn to wrap their heads around other *much bigger* and "much more damaging" lies in their lives too! I'm glad I have those good morning memories. Go to sleep at 9pm and wake up at 6am excited!! Oh yeah, we were "considered" poor by normal standards. Inner city, you know, that kind. haha

I was brought up to believe in Santa Claus. I'm 27 now, and as far as I can tell, completely normal: I work hard, I am engaged to a wonderful man, and I have a great relationship with my parents. My family wasn't religious, so Christmas meant celebrating the spirit of giving and goodwill to men. Santa Claus was our symbol, and our parents stressed the importance of generosity and kindness through him instead of just saying, 'If you're good, Santa will leave you presents under the tree. If you're bad, he will leave you nothing.' I've heard some people argue that he has become too commercial and is used as a tool to get children to behave, but that wasn't so in our house. Every year, we would play 'Santa' to a less fortunate child and give them a Christmas gift. So there IS a way to bring your children up with his good spirit instead of focusing on the material aspect of it.

I understand other people have different beliefs, and that is just fine. We all have different points of view and the world is richer for it. I just wanted to share my experience with Santa Claus, and show that it is possible for a child to grow up with a good sense of who he is, and what he symbolizes. I have nothing but fond memories of being raised to believe in him, and I hope others will have the same feeling I did every Christmas morning, no matter what they believe in.

To take this conversation one step further...what happens if you are not Christian? Should you encourage your child to believe in Santa?

Many of my Jewish/Muslim friends are anti-Santa, anti-Xmas tree. I think of both as American traditions, which is why I want my Jewish son to believe in Santa, too. Santa loves rice krispy treats, btw...

santa should be taken out of the picture completely. Christmas is a christian celebration for the birth of jesus. santa is merely used to symbolice the holydays and to identify with the rest of the world that is not cristian. saint nick(santa) was a great man but sadly he is now used as a merchandising symbol. imagine how weird it would be for the non cristian world if instead of seeing santa in a macy's commercial they saw a baby jesus. that wouldn't help sell more, on the contrary that would limit the amount of people you could sell to. the answer to this unneccesary question is "NO". you might say this is harsh, but why instead of lying to your children and teaching them its okay to do so, you tell them that we get present because its jesus' birthday. You would be telling the truth, raising your child correctly which is up to your moral values, not mine, and would still enjoy the holidays. as a parent, you should know that children's brain absorb everything around them like a sponge. They absorb your lies and actitudes. im not saying if you tell him about santa he/she is going to grow up wrong, but if we start well we would have a better result at the end.christmas has become a time in which we no longer celebrate the truth, but the fact that we get gifts.That has led to a very materialistic lifestyle and in turn has taught us that happiness comes from material things, meanwhile all the love, togetherness, family and things that really due matter are dying off, how sad.

Sure, but his real name is Bernie Madoff!

As an adult, when someone of noble character calls you a liar, are you happy? Telling a lie is a sin in the eyes of God. There is no such thing as Santa Claus. In fact, the Devil has blinded the mind and wisdom of man to believe in himself by using such a figure as Santan Claus. Thus, Santa Claus is from Santa's Claws. That's a reality. In fact, almost all parents disguised themselves to be Santa Claus at Christmas morning when their kids open the gifts that they themselves give to their own beloved children by lying that Santa brought the gifts when they were sleeping.

Santa Claus become Santa's Claws in CA on Christmas Eve this year. Rruce Pardo is a man turned Santa Claus who turned Santa's Claws.

What Mel DOESN'T mention is that his 3,5, and 7 year old went on to not only tell the family...but to tell all the other children that they could reach (because that's how kids are. I'm a teacher and have to dealt with tears- EVERY YEAR- of those who other children-in a show of being MEAN, yes mean and snobby- tell them that THEIR thoughts are dumb and foolish. Notice how your 7 year couldn't keep it to herself. Did you tell her to go tell the others? No. But she couldn't help ruining it for a 3 and 5 year old. It's human nature and, sadly, it's so mean.).

So his DECISION that HE believes was fine, went on to effect OTHER families who might not have agreed with him- but instead wished to keep their children's childhood fantasies (that weren't hurting them) going. So in a sense... like it or not, HIS decision effected the enjoyment of Christmas for many families.

THANKS, Melvin. What is so wrong with children staying CHILDREN for a while??? I believed for a number of years. I was the youngest in my family, and overheard my brothers saying to my parents, "It just won't be fun after McKenna doesn't believe." And it was true. Christmas loses SOMETHING.

YES! I believe that the TRUE meaning of the season is the birth of Christ and should NEVER let THAT message be lost of diminished...but there is a "magic" in childhood. Why lessen or shorten what is, in fact, so short of a time.

QUESTION: WHAT ADULT CAN ADMIT THEY (LASTINGLY) LOST FAITH IN THEIR PARENTS OR OUR THEIR LIVE WAS RUINED DUE TO A CHILDHOOD BELIEF IN SANTA??

If we can believe fraudsters such as Madoff and invest billions into ponzi schemes, why not in Santa?

The most important thing children have is their imagination, and their sense to do the right thing. Believing in the jolly elf is not really the issue. Taking time at the end of the year to give thanks for what you still have, understand that there are people who do love you for what you are, and using that spirit to give of yourself is what the season is about, and what Santa is about. We need to believe in something intangible, and of a nature that we can't hold in our hands. It's faith. Don't turn your child's world into a physical reality that can be supported through evidence. Let them dream.

Whatever your religious beliefs, the plain fact of the matter is that telling anyone that Santa Claus is real, is a lie. This is a terrible thing to do to a young, innocent, trusting child.

Christmas is over and this question that comes up year after year can again be put to rest for 11 months.

What I leave this thread with is that perhaps keeping your kids off the internet would probably do them a lot better than worring about telling them a "white lie"! Why are kids under 12 reading and posting to this blog? There won't be a computer on the list for Santa next year from my kids and many more to come!!