Do you believe?

2

Replies

  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    I believe that Christmas is really a celebration of the winter solstice and was used (quite effectively, I might add) by the church to convert people to Christianity. Or early Christians adopted traditional regional celebrations (not necessarily pagan in origin) to align with important events in their religion.

    Santa is just the middle man.
  • itsmyvwbeetle
    itsmyvwbeetle Posts: 272 Member
    Yes I believed and so do my children. They seem to one by one figure out the truth at about 11. So far none of their older siblings have ruined it for them, they too want them to enjoy the magic of childhood before they have to learn the cold hard truth of the real world. I dont like lying to my children but its so exciting to watch their eyes light up and their excitement grow.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    There's something special about passing down Christmas stories and traditions. I love how my kids get excited when they see deer and start asking if that's one of Santa's reindeer. I love how my kids get excited for the displays, the lights, the decorations and the food. I've saved every single written letter to Santa and even penned a few Santa response letters back.

    It might be a lie, but all that is priceless.

    My daughter almost figured out the truth when she was five. When she woke up on Christmas morning and saw her present from Santa, she said "Look, daddy! Santa has the same wrapping paper as us!" (details, damnit. DETAILS!)

    That's why we have special Santa paper.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    I'm 42 and I know better, but I still wake up Christmas morning hoping to see something under my tree that I didn't put there. :blushing:
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,576 Member
    I believed in Santa while my wife was raised in a religious household without Santa. We are kind of at odds with this as my 4.5 year old grows. My wife compromised by allowing Santa to be real but Santa doesn't do very much. Then, she slipped up and told her that all the gifts under the tree are from us and not from Santa. I came up with the quick answer that that is technically true because Santa sends us a bill lol. Its an ongoing battle lol.
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
    I don't believe in an imaginary, bearded man who rewards the good and punishes the bad. I don't believe in Santa, either.

    --P
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    In my house, we celebrate Festivus anyway, so non-issue.

    Festivus for the rest of us.
  • cuarrech
    cuarrech Posts: 118 Member
    I felt betrayed and like I was the butt of a joke when I figured out Santa wasn't real and my parents were laughing. To prevent this in my own kids, I've told them that it's not real. That said, we appreciate the mythologies anyway and admire the beautiful costumes and decorations in the different traditions. This year we are reading about "Santas" from around the world, right now we're on the Russian Ded Moroz.
  • srobinson84
    srobinson84 Posts: 39 Member
    We don't do Santa or any of the other imaginary being that are associated with holidays.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    I don't believe in an imaginary, bearded man who rewards the good and punishes the bad. I don't believe in Santa, either.

    --P

    :drinker:
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I don't believe in an imaginary, bearded man who rewards the good and punishes the bad. I don't believe in Santa, either.

    --P

    Yeah. Always has to be one who makes a religious joke. Good for you. Mocking people's religions. Good job. Really. Such a tolerant human being!
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    I grew up believing a little different when it cme to Santa. My family is Hungarian and in Hungary we celebrated St. Nicolas Day on December 6th but Christmas Eve and Day were all about baby Jesus!

    With my kids I did it all. St. Nicolas Day, Santa and baby Jesus!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,629 Member
    ohmy.gif
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    There's something special about passing down Christmas stories and traditions. I love how my kids get excited when they see deer and start asking if that's one of Santa's reindeer. I love how my kids get excited for the displays, the lights, the decorations and the food. I've saved every single written letter to Santa and even penned a few Santa response letters back.

    It might be a lie, but all that is priceless.

    My daughter almost figured out the truth when she was five. When she woke up on Christmas morning and saw her present from Santa, she said "Look, daddy! Santa has the same wrapping paper as us!" (details, damnit. DETAILS!)

    That's why we have special Santa paper.

    I figured it out when I was 5. I noticed Santa and my mom had the same handwriting on the tags. I've always used separate paper and had someone else write out the Santa tags. :happy:
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    i believed till some jerkoff in grade school went around yelling how their parents said santa's not real and it's all a big scam.

    i definitely didn't start crying! i didn't!

    i want my kids to believe though, it's fun!
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    I was raised to believe in Santa. I mean, why not? Jesus was born in late summer, and Christmas traditions are all based on pagan traditions and even celebrated as a pagan Holiday. Even the idea of celebrating birthdays, ie Jesus' birthday, is a pagan tradition. So, with that being said, since Christmas, and Easter, are both Pagan holidays, why not keep the pagan traditions?

    Not exactly. While you can trace the birth of Jesus back to around April and not December, the celebrations aren't based on Pagan traditions. They were moved to coincide with Pagan traditions in an attempt to sway people to believe in Jesus and away from Pagan ways.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    I don't believe in an imaginary, bearded man who rewards the good and punishes the bad. I don't believe in Santa, either.

    --P

    hahahaha and they both want your money!
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    I don't believe in an imaginary, bearded man who rewards the good and punishes the bad. I don't believe in Santa, either.

    --P

    Yeah. Always has to be one who makes a religious joke. Good for you. Mocking people's religions. Good job. Really. Such a tolerant human being!

    How is that mocking? Does god not have a beard?
  • dodihere
    dodihere Posts: 490
    I still believe in Santa Claus.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    Santa is based on a REAL person....a bishop from Holland. Look up St Nicholas. I learned a lot about him when I was a Catholic cuz my birthday falls on St Nicholas Day - Dec 6th.

    Let kids be kids and believe in these fun things................they can also learn about Jesus and such, but I think some religious folk get a little goofy about it all. As a Christian myself, I believe in JOY AND FUN...............Jesus would like that :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • _dadgad
    _dadgad Posts: 23 Member
    You mean Santa's not real? Oh, the humanity!
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    I was raised to believe in Santa. I mean, why not? Jesus was born in late summer, and Christmas traditions are all based on pagan traditions and even celebrated as a pagan Holiday. Even the idea of celebrating birthdays, ie Jesus' birthday, is a pagan tradition. So, with that being said, since Christmas, and Easter, are both Pagan holidays, why not keep the pagan traditions?

    Not exactly. While you can trace the birth of Jesus back to around April and not December, the celebrations aren't based on Pagan traditions. They were moved to coincide with Pagan traditions in an attempt to sway people to believe in Jesus and away from Pagan ways.

    Here's a rather interesting article on this topic: http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/christmas.asp
  • Kelogik
    Kelogik Posts: 58
    I grew up believing in Santa but I learned pretty young that he wasn't real. Personally, I let my daughter believe because it's important to build her imagination and is a good scapegoat to keep her in line around the holidays (which are hard all in itself for her because of traveling). Funny thing though, we never gave her much of a back story for him and she came up with her own. According to my almost 4 year old, there are many Santas for all the different malls and our particular Santa comes from the moon.

    Although I'm an Atheist, I have no problem celebrating Christmas as a whole because what it means to me is spending time with your loved ones which I feel does not happen enough and this is what I'm teaching my daughter. Plus there are presents and great food, what's not to love?
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,576 Member
    I was raised to believe in Santa. I mean, why not? Jesus was born in late summer, and Christmas traditions are all based on pagan traditions and even celebrated as a pagan Holiday. Even the idea of celebrating birthdays, ie Jesus' birthday, is a pagan tradition. So, with that being said, since Christmas, and Easter, are both Pagan holidays, why not keep the pagan traditions?

    Not exactly. While you can trace the birth of Jesus back to around April and not December, the celebrations aren't based on Pagan traditions. They were moved to coincide with Pagan traditions in an attempt to sway people to believe in Jesus and away from Pagan ways.

    While I agree that they moved the holiday for marketing reasons (much like Easter), the decorating of trees and giving of gifts is not a Christian Tradition.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    I was raised to believe in Santa. I mean, why not? Jesus was born in late summer, and Christmas traditions are all based on pagan traditions and even celebrated as a pagan Holiday. Even the idea of celebrating birthdays, ie Jesus' birthday, is a pagan tradition. So, with that being said, since Christmas, and Easter, are both Pagan holidays, why not keep the pagan traditions?

    Not exactly. While you can trace the birth of Jesus back to around April and not December, the celebrations aren't based on Pagan traditions. They were moved to coincide with Pagan traditions in an attempt to sway people to believe in Jesus and away from Pagan ways.

    While I agree that they moved the holiday for marketing reasons (much like Easter), the decorating of trees and giving of gifts is not a Christian Tradition.

    No, it's not at all!
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,357 Member
    My parents are pretty big into church and stuff, and yes they let us believe in Santa. Actually it was great for our imaginations and my kids believe in Santa. My son came home yesterday saying how a boy in his class was telling everyone that Santa wasn't real. In my opinion that is just wrong! Why is it so harmful to let them believe in things? Christmas had a magical feeling to me as a kid and I want my kids to have that. My parents didn't damage me for letting me believe in something that wasnt' real. What is damaging is parents who don't teach their kids that it's not ok to take that away from others. I'm glad my son told him that he still believes. We explain Santa different though then a lot of people do.
  • Jaccyber
    Jaccyber Posts: 620 Member
    I did believe as a child growing up and I still like to believe that Santa is real. !!! GO SANTA !!!:drinker:
  • MsDover
    MsDover Posts: 395 Member
    I was raised to believe in Santa. I mean, why not? Jesus was born in late summer, and Christmas traditions are all based on pagan traditions and even celebrated as a pagan Holiday. Even the idea of celebrating birthdays, ie Jesus' birthday, is a pagan tradition. So, with that being said, since Christmas, and Easter, are both Pagan holidays, why not keep the pagan traditions?

    THIS!!!!

    I was raised to believe in Santa, but when I reached an age where I was 99% sure it was just a nice story I asked and my dad was straight with me. When my own kids (and in one case, one of my grand kids) reached about that same age and they asked me I wasn't going to lie to them. I told them it was a wonderful tradition based on a real story and also told them about all of the Pagan traditions and how and why they had been adopted by Christian denominations. As far as I'm concerned, anything that leaves a child (or adult for that matter) feeling happy, loved, and no frightened or guilt ridden is fine!
  • Becoming_A_Butterfly
    Becoming_A_Butterfly Posts: 2,534 Member
    I stopped believing in Santa at a very young age because it just didn't make any sense. I don't mind kids believing in Santa because it's fun and magical when you are really little. I question the reasoning powers of older children who still believe, though.

    I never use Santa as a disciplinary or parenting tool, though, which is lame. "Better be good, or Santa won't bring you anything." What do these parents fall back on the rest of the year?
  • Fit_Vixen1
    Fit_Vixen1 Posts: 419
    I believed.

    My kids 14 & 11, stopped believing in him years ago.

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