Believing in Santa Claus

I was five and my younger sister was four.  My older brothers were 7 and 8 and we all still believed in Santa.  The oldest brother told me that if I got up in the middle of the night I could see Santa putting the gifts under the tree.  Well, I heard some noise; thought it was Santa and got up.  Much to my surprise I saw my Daddy assembling the tricycles that my sister and I asked for.  I ran and got my brothers and I guess at that point we sort of "discovered" Santa but kept believing for a few more years because my childlike faith didn't want to believe it was my Daddy. 

My family has always celebrated Christmas with the birth of Christ and Santa has just been in keeping with tradition but not the main focus. 

I believe as long as a child believes in Santa, and the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy they maintain their childhood innocence. My youngest daughter is 8 and her father wants to just tell her the truth, which I am completely against. He thinks that letting her believe will make her feel like we lied to her, her whole life. I didn't feel that way and neither did our other daughter who is 13. How can I convince him that not telling her will keep her innocent longer? Anybody?

We were raised on the premise that our belief in all of the above was just keeping with tradition and as a child discovered the truth then so be it.  I have never met anyone who felt they were lied to because as they matured and realized the truth they then understood the reason for keeping tradition. 

I come from a very strong independent Baptist background and you would think we would disprove of this tradition but we always knew that if we kept the true meaning of Christmas, birth of Christ, as the priority the rest was just tradition.  Even as we grew to comprehend the truth we were forbidden to disclose this revelation to other children. 

I have a niece in 5th grade and we are struggling with wondering if she knows who Santa is because we haven't heard her talk about it so we will continue as if she believes so as not to ruin it for her.  Like the country song says, "Let them be little..."  Enjoy the innocence of childhood while you can because soon they are grown and you will be longing for just one more day with the child. 

I don't know if this helps but it has worked for my family thru the decades.

And i always thought we were celebrating longer days and shorter nights....hmmm?

 Santa is a tradition from pre-recorded time. Long-bearded travelers and elders allowed to share the warmth of the family fire during the longest nites of winter, likely handcrafted gifts for the children's amusement, yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus. And his trunk will be full this year too.

Christian's celebrate Jesus' birth after the winter Solstice a time of longer days and shortening nights since He brought Light to the Darkness and celebrate His resurrection in Spring, a time when all things are reborn ....in the Northern Hemisphere. Easter falls on that First-Sunday-After-The-First-Full-Moon-After-The-Spring-Equinox, when pretty much everything is alive again... like pun'kins :)   

:)

So, did you eve believe in Santa Claus?  If so, how was the belief disproved or found out?

I still believe in Santa Claus. He began with the name Kris Kringle he was a man that made wooden toys,cakes and nuts and would distribute them through out his travels to all the girls and boys, he wanted to give to the children and as time went on people tried to carry out his traditions and it became a farce.  Expensive,commercialized, and fake. The true meaning has been lost.

It is much more rewarding giving a as in 1 toy to a poor child, to see there face light up and the appreciation.When we give and recieve gifts from the heart don't we all have a little Santa in us ?

Yes, that is very true and wasn't the whole significance of the birth of Christ--that He was born to give His life.  The ultimate sacrifice.  It sounds like you are making a difference in people's lives during the holidays--keep up the good work!  We need more people with your attitude.  Like my Daddy says, "It's the thought that counts..."  

This topic is really getting me into the holiday spirit!

I'll be bringing out the Christmas music next weekend :+)  I always start listening to it the day after Halloween and this year I already have a new Marie Osmond Christmas video, and a video with fireplaces and Christmas music.  I'll use this at the family gathering--peaceful, tranquility and a warm fire makes it homey. 

Im glad eveyone is in the holiday spirit.

If you looking to get rid off old clothes and shoes please visit

www.michaelscottmaterfoundation.org  please help us.

 

Thank you all

Gigi, Santa leaves gifts without a return address and is shopping clearance at Sears daily :) Need any solar lights? Ho Ho Ho

 

 

Uh oh--there has been a Santa sighting and he's here at VP!  Yes, Gigi, there is a Santa Claus!  Yeah, tell Santa to pick me up a few solar lights to line my driveway and leave me that storage building I've been wanting.  See, I don't have a chimney so these gifts won't requiring coming inside.  He can just set them up for me on Christmas Eve ;+)  ~Gigi

This is Anna.  My husband and I both write under the same screen name because with 7 children we basically only have time to read reviews.  We have known Gigi for about six years and I decided to come to her board to share a story/memory with her as well as other readers.

I was about 7 or 8 years old and I made my first trip up into the attic with my parents to get our tree and decorations out.  While they were going through boxes I was meddling through other boxes.  I came across a box that had a lot of letters in it.  Most of them, I would later discover, were love letters that my Dad had written my mother.  Well, the box contained all the letters, cards (store bought and homemade) and little love notes from my Dad and me and my siblings.  Something caught my eye and it was one of my letters to Santa.  I was only in the 2nd or 3rd grade when I discovered it so it was probably one I gave him when I was 4 or 5 because I could barely write my name.  I didn't let my parents know I found the letters.  I just wondered "why" my mother had MY letters to Santa.

I grew up in Texas and a year or two later my parents took the family to a family reunion in New York.  While there we crossed over into Canada and we got to go to this beautiful Santa Village in some French-speaking community.  I wanted to go see Santa and some older cousins started ribbing about believing in Santa.  They basically told me he wasn't real and then they dropped the bomb.  They told me to go ask my Mom and Dad so I did.  That evening my parents had to break it to me and they were so worried that I was going to be mad at them for lying to me.  I wasn't.  I guess I handled it very well and then I told my mother about finding the Santa letters a year or two earlier.

Because I had two younger siblings I had to do just what my three older siblings had done for me.  I had to keep "believing" until the youngest child quit believing.  So Santa was still alive in my house until I was about 14 or 15 and we still keep the tradition going.  Every year my parents give all of the children gifts and for the older ones who know about Santa; they still give us one special gift from "Santa."  They even do this with the older grandchildren.

I am bracing myself for the day when Brantleigh or Christian start asking questions.  They are 9 and 10 so I'm hoping they'll keep believing for at least another year or two.  We have five younger children: Jansen (7),  Avonleigh, Ainsleigh, and Paisleigh (triplets will be 5 on the 25th) and Braeden just turned 3.  So we are hoping to keep believing in Santa for at least six or seven more years and then I think we will do like my parents and keep the tradition going even after the belief has faded.

I look forward to seeing some other responses.

Anna  

I still believe!!!!!! Always will that's what my parents told me.

Now I'm ready for the Holidays..........

Wow, 7 children!! You're very, very busy I'm sure. Thanks for taking the time to join us here, though! Your story is heartwarming and I agree that family traditions are a wonderful thing to keep us connected. Some family traditions aren't based on religion or culture though. Some traditions are based on what that particular family feels is the right thing to do. Do you konw anyone who has traditions that aren't necessarily based on holidays but make their lives better?

I do!  Once all the children in my family knew who Santa was my parents started the following tradition.  We were all allowed to stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve.  It was then officially Christmas day so we were allowed to open up all of our gifts.  This meant playing with toys, electronics, etc. until about 2 a.m.  Then all of the children would go to bed and Mom knew we would sleep in and that would give her time to make more preparations for Christmas day. 

I am a very sentimental person so even after being in my own home I still call my parents right after midnight to wish them a Merry Christmas.  It's hit and miss with my siblings since they have younger children.  But first thing in the morning I wake up and call them all!

My family celebrates Christmas a week before to allow my siblings to be with their extended families during the holidays.  Since I'm the only one not married I always go to my best friends' house (2 of them) and celebrate with them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I stay with them for a few days to be with people.  ~Gigi 

When I was growing up, we would open our gifts from the family on Christmas Eve. My brother and I would play with our toys for awhile before going to bed. Then my dad would help my brother and I set out some cookies and a glass of milk for Santa Claus. We (my brother and I) would get ready for bed. My dad would put my brother in bed and my mom put me in bed. Then, I remember daydreaming about what Santa Claus was bringing me. Before I knew it, it was Christmas morning. I was always the person to wake-up first. I would run to my brother's room, get him up, and both of us would run to the Christmas tree to see what Santa Claus brought us.

I think I was 8-years old and my brother was 4-years old when I found out about Santa Claus. We would go through our same ritual on Christmas Eve. After I had gone to bed, I heard a noise in the livingroom, which is where the Christmas tree was located. You can see in the livingroom when my bedroom door is open. I opened my bedroom door and saw my mom arranging the gifts under the Christmas tree and my dad was eating Santa's cookies. I was very confused, I closed my bedroom door and jumped back into bed. As far as I knew, my parents didn't see me. When I was in bed, I kept thinking about what I had witnessed. I had heard in school kids saying "There is no such a thing as a Santa Claus. It is really your parents." I was beginning to think maybe there isn't a Santa Claus.

My brother was the one to wake me up that year. I was afraid if I told my parents I didn't believe in Santa Claus no more that my brother wouldn't get anymore Santa Claus gifts. So I went along and never said a word. You know what, each year that my brother believed in Santa Claus I looked forward to Santa's gifts. I think my brother quit believing in Santa Claus at 8-years old.

I finally told my parents I don't believe in Santa Claus after my brother told them. My parents knew all the long I didn't believe. They didn't say anything to me because of my brother.

The next Christmas I was not expecting anything on Christmas morning. My mom surprised my brother and I with a few gifts. She always held a few Christmas presents back to give to us the next morning.  

What are you all talking about "No Santa"?

I don't understand.

Santa has always stuffed my Holiday stocking with tools, electronic parts and chocolate.

What a Saint!

Next, you'll be posting about the Easter Bunny not putting out those plastic eggs, with the ratchet rebuilding parts inside of them!

Nonsense!

I think I was 7 or 8.  I remember pretending to believe when I was 8 or 9 because my uncle didn't know that I stopped believing and was doing the whole Santa excitement routine so I pretended so it wouldn't ruin HIS Christmas.  LOL