Believe in Santa

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I can understand your disappointment DeeDee it s difficult isn’t it, but as you say nothing really you can do about it if it’s they’re choice Do you know why they have chosen that path are they both religious? Or is this a new modern trend where you have to be totally honest with children from birth !!!
I agree with you we are all happy to go along with fairy tales while kids are young and how much richer is their lives if they can ‘lose’ themselves in the pretend world sometimes will these children never be able to pretend about anything or is it just the religious thing
I think I d have a chat with your sons and see if there is any way around it any way both can exist at least for a few years

I agree with you totally this is a fairly harmless ( I think ) story which is usually gone by the time they re about 8/9 and to be honest many will say even the religious knowledge of the real reason behind Christmas will be considered by many a ‘fairytale’

I think you should let children have magic whilst still young, cannot think of anyone who suffered trauma believing in Santa. I just didn't do tge Easter Bunny thing as it would have frightened them as they kept rabbits amongst every other animal. They didn't miss out on Easter eggs and the symbolic reason they had them, although neither are religious.

My children believed in Father Christmas but the Easter Bunny was never in focus . I think that was an American introduction later. But the magic of Christmas still remains for my GDs although not in a overly spiritual way.

The magic of Christmas with children and grandchildren are among my happiest memories.
I can never think it did them harm as the AC carried on the tradition with their own children.
I now have GGC but as yet too young to participate.
As long as it is the magic and not the commercial aspect no harm is done.

Oh I thought I was the only one who didn’t do Easter Bunny

I m interested to know if it’s the religious aspect or the ‘never tells child a lie’ aspect ( good luck on that one ) which would mean no tooth fairy and no treats at all that don’t come out of the parents pockets I think it’s sad if children have no make believe what about faries and fairy doors in trees etc, poor kids, no magic in their lives.

I was brought up not to believe in Father Christmas, as he was called in the UK then, and the Easter Bunny was yet to cross the Atlantic. I did not know a bout the Tooth Fairy until I grew up.

I am not sure it did any lasting damage but I am sure my Christmases were not as magical as they could have been.

When it came to my own DCs, I went along with all the myths.

We didn't do any of the myths, but we bought presents at Christmas and a chocolate egg at Easter. I don't think children miss out by not being spun a web of fantasy, there's lots of ways of engaging children's minds in the real world without buying a load of commercial tat. Just my opinion but if others want to pretend there's a Santa or an Easter bunny, that's ok with me, we've just built family traditions and memories in a different way.

My friend’s DGDs were told from being tiny (by their parents) that there is no such thing as Santa Claus/Father Christmas. It’s all fantasy.
They are seriously religious, and as a non-believer myself - I find that much the same thing - fantasy.

My friend is disappointed, but goes along with their instructions.

It is the other way round in our family. My DD and SIL encourage all the magic around Father Christmas/ Easter Bunny etc but Pooh Pooh the religious aspect. This upsets my GD as she goes to a Church of England school that is hot on celebrating the Christmas and Easter stories. I have explained to her that Jesus was a real man as there is lots of proof of his existence and that he was a very good man. which is why we celebrate him but that many of the stories have been embellished over the years, much like a game of Chinese Whispers and that seemed to satisfy her.
Sadly, as she is eight now, I think that Father Christmas(I refuse to call him Santa) will soon disappear from our lives but we will enjoy him while we can.

I thought only Americans did the Easter Bunny thing? If parents choose not to go with the Santa/Father Christmas thing it’s up to them tho of course it will spoil the magic as their little friends may believe it.

Culturally there can be found a magical figure throughout Europe.

In the U.K. it was Father Christmas.
In Italy it is a witch and St Lucy
In France it was St Nicholas
In Spain it was/is the three wise men
In Holland it is Sinterclaus - who became Santa Claus in the USA
In Norway the Yule goat

And so on -but everywhere - more or less has adopted Santa Claus now - although I prefer our own Father Christmas.

So there has always been a magical Christmas figure for children that adds to the mystery and excitement.

Of course Father Christmas is St Nicholas!
Bearer of gifts for the poor and the patron saint of children.

It's a shame if children aren't made aware of him in one way or another, although his Saint's Day is 6th December, not 24th.

So there has always been a magical Christmas figure for children that adds to the mystery and excitement.

I agree, it is sad if children can't have a bit of magic and mystery in their lives.
Although I do remember one little girl becoming very anxious because she thought Father Christmas wouldn't be able to come down the chimney because the gas fire was in the way.

i never realised that the Easter Bunny was a 'thing'. I would rate the tooth fairy much higher, To me Easter bunnies were on a par with the chickens, lambs and all the other young livestock that collects around Easter.

All our children “did” Santa, Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.

It was fun and magical for us all!

Allira

^So there has always been a magical Christmas figure for children that adds to the mystery and excitement.^

I agree, it is sad if children can't have a bit of magic and mystery in their lives.
Although I do remember one little girl becoming very anxious because she thought Father Christmas wouldn't be able to come down the chimney because the gas fire was in the way.

We knew a family where there were were not chimneys, they painted a tiny doorway in their living room wall and told their children Santa was “magic” and would come through the tiny doorway!

I thought Easter Bunnies were made of chocolate (bite the ears off first!) but we did go to an Easter Egg hunt years ago and the Easter Bunny was there. He had hidden all the eggs, apparently.

We didn't do the Easter Bunny or those Elf on the Shelf things, but Santa was part of our Christmases when the children were small. I wouldn't have been pleased to have grandparents pushing their ideas though, and wouldn't do so if my children decided not to have Santa in their lives.

Families have different traditions even when they include the Santa myth. My mum used to say that adults sent their presents to Santa, who then brought them down the chimney, and my ILs used to say that one present was from her and the rest from him. This was closer to our take on it, which was that people could give (and get thanks for) their own presents, and we did the same but bought extra from the man in red. There has to be one story if children are not to get confused, and IMO that is up to the parents. Grandparents have had their turn.

Main present was from Mum and Dad and the smaller presents were from Father Christmas.

It's only for a short time that children will believe in Father Christmas and I remember the excitement my children had from the magic. Flying reindeer and a sleigh carrying toys for all the children in the world. Waking early to see if he had been and there were new toys.
It is up to parents if they prefer not to go along with the fairy tale but this age of innocence is very short.

The ‘Easter Bunny’ flies into our local airfield each year and distributes eggs - it’s a huge fund raising event and very popular.

Father Christmas always visited our house and brought gifts to go in the stockings. In recent years we have enjoyed watching his progress across the world on our laptop! When asked if he’s real I just say no one really knows, like fairies, and that seems to satisfy enough, though the older GCn know that they are ‘playing along with G’ma.’

Now the Tooth Fairy is different - of course she is real, and it seems very wealthy too!

When I was very small I remember being quite frightened by the idea of Father Christmas - a strange old man coming into my bedroom when I was asleep. Later, I played along happily with the idea, knowing that it was a myth.

One of my sons, though, was very upset when he discovered there was no Father Christmas. He was very literal-minded. I felt really mean for having deceived him.