I never believed in Santa Claus....

[SEVERUSMAX]

....am I the only one?

 

[carsonshepherd]

No. My parents didn't want to lie to us, so they never tried to make us believe it. We played the Santa game but we all knew it was made up - just a fantasy. We avoided the crushing disappointment of finding out Santa wasn't real, at least....

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Glad to know that I'm not alone. My parents discouraged it for religious reasons. They didn't like the emphasis on Santa on what they considered to be the "birthday of Christ" (I know better now, but not then). Also, they feared that if I discovered that Santa wasn't real, then I wouldn't believe them about Jesus or anything else. Well, their ploy failed, as I turned Pagan anyway.

 

[carsonshepherd]

my parents encouraged a similar skepticism about Baby Jesus too

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

You're lucky then. Mine were trying to hold keep me a Christian (and my siblings as well) as long as they could.

 

[logophile]

I found out "the truth" about Santa when I was 5. I felt like it was my great responsibility to go liberate the rest of my kindergarten class from the big lie we'd all been told. Oops. Crushed several of my friends before the recess lady shut me up.

So we didn't do Santa with our kids. Any of our children will tell you that, "Santa is very nice story about a wonderful man who works all year long to make other people happy." They also that other kids believe something different and not one of them has ever ruined for another kid.

 

[Munachi]

In fact, I do not know. My parents never had anyone dress up as Santa Claus for us, didn't have us write wish lists to Santa, and where I grew up Shopping mall Santas weren't common (apart from that shopping malls weren't either). But we had a Santa Claus come to kindergarden. I kind of remember, that I had quite a bit of respect for him, after all he was quite a big guy with a deep voice, and a bit weird altogether. I don't think I was old enough to really have the ability of abstraction to know he was just someone who dressed up so we kids would believe he is Santa Claus... So yes, in a way I believed him. On the other hand, that was something that belonged with kindergarden, which was a weird part of reality anyway. But I have always lived in a weird mixture of reality and imagination, even more so as a kid, and I could integrate even very contrary concepts into it, in a way. So anyway, there wasn't any one time I stopped believing in Santa Claus, but whether I did believe in him or not is something that I can't remember, but it wasn't all that much a topic anyway...

 

[elsol]

I'm Latin... Three King's Day.

Santa is scary.

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[Guest]

I'm Latin... Three King's Day.

Santa is scary.

Sincerely,
ElSol

No, CLOWNS are scary.

Santa is big and red and jolly. Kind of like Dick Cheney.

Well, except for the jolly part.

 

[Liar]

Never believed in Santa, because there never were any around except for quaint little figures hanging in the tree and jovial characters on TV. And I was taught early on that all I see on TV isn't true. From as far back as I can remember, I felt the whole deal with a guy in a red hat, at the noth pole, making gazillions of toys, and hauling them down chimneys, was just ridiculous. My family was real, and we gave each other presents because we loved each other. What would e need a stupid Santa for?

 

[English Lady]

I still believe in Santa.

so ner

You only have to look at my sig line to see that though *L*

 

[carsonshepherd]

I still believe in Santa.

so ner

You only have to look at my sig line to see that though *L*

As an adult I've told people I never believed in Santa and they were horrified... actually angry at my parents for what they considered "taking the magic out of Christmas" for my brother and me. I dunno about that, since I never knew anything else. I don't think it damaged me psychologically, but who knows?

 

[Boota]

I don't remember actually believing, but I remember playing the game so that I could keep getting shit. It never made sense to me why Santa made the toys, and yet they were all famous brand names. I figured there was either no Santa or that Mattel and Kenner were using elf slave labor.

 

[English Lady]

As an adult I've told people I never believed in Santa and they were horrified... actually angry at my parents for what they considered "taking the magic out of Christmas" for my brother and me. I dunno about that, since I never knew anything else. I don't think it damaged me psychologically, but who knows?

Replying honestly here, when I first read this thread it made me feel sad...but there is no real basis for why I reacted like that as none of you seem any the worse for it.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Replying honestly here, when I first read this thread it made me feel sad...but there is no real basis for why I reacted like that as none of you seem any the worse for it.

Nah. Not wrong, just a different upbringing. I'm the first to admit I had an unconventional childhood. *shrug*

 

[R. Richard]

I figured there was either no Santa or that Mattel and Kenner were using elf slave labor.

Actually there is no Santa. However, that does not mean that Mattel and Kenner are not using elf slave labor. I am afraid you have stumbled on one of the dirty little secrets in the toy industry. FREE THE ELVES!

 

[impressive]

Oh, I probably "believed" as a pre-schooler ... but, as soon as the ability to reason bloomed ... well, let's get real, flying reindeer pulling a fat man in a sleigh ??? Um, no.

We use the name "Santa" with our kids ... but they know it's legend.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I don't remember actually believing, but I remember playing the game so that I could keep getting shit. It never made sense to me why Santa made the toys, and yet they were all famous brand names. I figured there was either no Santa or that Mattel and Kenner were using elf slave labor.

Yeah, it was something like that.

To tell you the truth, "exist" and "not exist", "real" and "not real" were concepts I just didn't deal with as a kid. Those are strictly adult concerns.

 

[elsol]

No, CLOWNS are scary.

Santa is big and red and jolly. Kind of like Dick Cheney.

Well, except for the jolly part.

An old man who wants you to sit on his lap ....

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[Munachi]

asked my dad about this today (about whether they tried to make us believe in santa). his answer was something like, you haven't been spared a lot in your childhood, but this at least you have been spared.