Follow-up: For those with children, do you continue the ruse with your own children, or simply tell them it’s you who gives the gifts? Why or why not?
I got visit from saint nicolas. And i knew the truth at about 8. We did not have a coca cola commercial to celebrate 25/12. So for that one i do not have a age .
Atm Some kids here know it in 1st year off school ( not kindergarden ) so about 6/7. They talk so when the next year is there : about 90 % knows it. And the year after that it is not more expected to have believers in the klas.
What do you mean Santa isn’t real? 🥺
TIL
5-6 - same with my kids. Keeping it up for too long risks making them religious as well.
I was 8. Lost a tooth at my grandparents house and my grandpa chose to wait until after sunrise to take the tooth and return some tooth fairy treasures. I first asked for confirmation that the tooth fairy was not real. He nodded. I considered that for a second and then followed up with “and Santa?” He nodded again, I shrugged and went back to sleep.
I kept the secret until they asked directly and just didn’t lie. They seemed to have turned out fine.
I remember my mate at school when I was 6 or so telling me your mum and dad let him. Can’t remember anything beyond that.
Late teens.
Let children still have the fun into believing into a Santa when the majority of us know that it’s us providing the gifts. It’s about as much of an asshole thing to do, when you tell a kid during Halloween that they really aren’t as they’re dressed as.
We don’t celebrate Christmas. It took me very long to realize that there are children who actually believe in Santa.
pretty early. 5 or 6. religious celebration salad + small thinking just won’t let that pass through. it became a family in-joke after.
philosophy class got me a glimpse of adulting and got me believing again.
I get what you mean. Christmas was never about the religious aspect for me, but about family getting together, the holiday cheer, and exchanging gifts. Also, booze and huge meals.
I’m an atheist, but I still celebrate Christmas.
When I was 6 or 7, I realized the neighbors (who were absolutely AWFUL) received more presents than my family did and the only difference was that their family made more money.
I started thinking about all the kids in my class, and the ones that got the most presents weren’t the nicest kids, they were the ones with the richest parents. Then it clicked.
That’s a pretty depressing conclusion of your deductive reasoning for a six or seven year-old.
Do you celebrate Christmas now?
Lol, no.
My husband and I agree that it’s just a marketing ploy and don’t typically exchange high-cost gifts. We’ll make food and enjoy the lazy day with a new videogame or puzzle, but rarely anything more than that.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. The only people that believe Santa Claus isn’t real or the people who have no joy in their lives.
Even if you say you don’t believe he’s real there’s a part of you that thinks that he might be real and you know it.
Around 6, when I noticed that my parents would always buy the same wrapping paper that Santa used…
What? You’re saying he isn’t real? Who punched Arius at the Council of Nicea in 325ad?
Jokes aside… Sigh… I was 12, it was when I googled it
We don’t lie, and talk about “who is going to be Santa this year”. Treat it like a game. I don’t think the youngest quite understands and we don’t purposely ruin it, but that the adults are Santa is openly talked about.
Recently one of my kid’s friends got an elf on the shelf, and my kid asked what it was. I think that if other parents lie to their kids that’s for them to sort out, we can’t be expected to lie to our kids to keep up another lie. So I straight out told them what it was and that some parents use it to try to trick their kids into being good. They replied “can I have one?”
I was about ten I think. Might have been 11. Figured it out.
No kids but yeah I definitely would tell them about Santa and let them enjoy their childhood. Life sucks. Let them enjoy the first few years.
Would, or wouldn’t?
Being Jewish, we were told about this mishegas the moment we were able to hold cognitive thought
