Christians, I’m Jewish, but was wondering, what was it like when you first learned Santa Claus wasn’t real

Question

Were you disillusioned? Did you lose trust in your parents? Did it confirm what you already suspected (what w/ all those Mall Santas). Just curious what it felt like.

so many wonderful answers! This is going to make it hard to pick just one...

You were all such clever little kids:
Crazydude: gifts that said “made in china” was the giveaway
takerRjb: Santa used same wrapping paper as folks
Miss Catherine: Santa’s handwriting same as dad’s

Answer 1

YOU MEAN SANTA ISN'T REAL?! (Oh darn, somebody beat me to it...)

It felt like I had seriously been lied to. It felt like... I was losing a huge part of my childhood. It was heartbreaking, as silly as it seems now. But Santa had always been the excitement of Christmas. He embodied magic and Christmas cheer. It was kinda like he died. (I always knew those mall santas weren't real. I just chalked it up to, "They're dressing up like santa for the real little children.")

Answer 2

I'm over 30 and in a sense I still believe. Yes, I know all those red-suited elfs at the malls are just men in costumes. Yes, I know that my family's personal Santa (we've had the same Santa since before I was born!) doesn't live at the North Pole and get around by flying reindeer.

I guess what I want to say is that the spirit of Santa is real. Even when I was very young my Santa taught me that he is just a symbol of Jesus' love. He pointed out how just about everything about him points to the Savior - from the white beard (purity) to the red suit (the blood Jesus shed during the Atonement) to the evergreen tree (everlasting life). Every year he asks us of important milestones in our spiritual path. There was no disillusionment because there wasn't any real deception.

Answer 3

Actually, we pretty much knew Santa did not exist nor do reindeer fly. But we had fun believing it. It made things so magical at Christmas. We were not Christian at the time. But
that is the whole point. Having an imagination. Too bad things have to be so realistic and ugly for the kids today.

When one is around 6 or 7, they can read and find out these things, still its fun to believe. Of course the array of Santas were a big clue also. So no, I never felt disillusioned at all.

Answer 4

I come from a mixed faith house. My father is Jewish. My mother is Christian. I grew up Christian. I found out Santa Claus wasn't real from my friends at school. I'm a guy. So, a certain amount of ego goes with dealing with bad news. I don't think my feelings were hurt. The earth didn't shatter. What I did do, and what my friends did, was to pretend to still believe in front of my parents so I could keep getting all the presents. As it turned out, because I had a little sister, the presents continued anyway.

Answer 5

Actually Santa Claus represents a real person (santa translated means "saint"):

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Answer 6

This is an excellent question!!! Many children get really really upset.. My cousin kicked my aunt when he found out... As for me, I never believed in a Santa Clause because my mom thought it stole the original purpose away from the celebration. although, they made sure that I never spilled the beans to the other kids my age.... It was almost like being part of a conspiracy...

Now I ask myself perhaps the whole Santa Clause conspiracy for kids ironically coincides with the larger tradition for the world.

Answer 7

First of all I converted from catholicism six years ago, but I still love celebrating christmas, for the sake of seeing my family come together, and have a good time with one another. I was in second or first grade when I found out Santa Claus wasn't real; I caught my dad take the cookies and milk... The following year I left santa beer and pickles... lol... my dad was a lil bit of an alky, so, yea, "Santa" appreciated it :P

Answer 8

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Answer 9

I never believed in Santa Claus.

I went to a fundamental Protestant church that thought that teaching kids about a Roman Catholic saint diminished the true meaning of the holiday. So my parents never really said much about Santa one way or the other, and it never occurred to me that he might be real (I think my older brother believed, because other kids told him about Santa, but my parents never discussed it.).

All of the other kids in kindergarten and first grade made fun of me because I didn't believe.


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Besides, I always knew where the presents were coming from anyway. My parents were never very good, or very original, when it came to hiding our gifts prior to Christmas.

Answer 10

I was taught that the spirit of Santa Claus lives in all of us.And that is the spirit of giving. Santa Claus is based on a real human being St. Nicholas