Is there anyone who does not use Santa?

[Honeybee]

We have decided not to do santa either. Well, I have decided and DH is going along with it. I don't think he'd care either way.

The only reason I wont be using Santa is that I cannot bring myself to lie to my child.

- that's pretty much my thinking. DS has seen santa around, and he found 'the night before Christmas' story, so I read that to him. I figure it's not a problem - I don't have to tell him that Peter Rabbit isn't real when I read him that story. I just will never tell him that santa is a real person who brings him his Christmas presents, because it isn't true.

When he's older I will tell him that some people like to pretend that santa is real for fun, and if he wants to pretend that's OK. Same thing with the Easter Bunny. I'll also tell him that some kids really do believe it, and we shouldn't spoil it for them.

I don't mind Christmas being a big thing, he's very excited about putting up the tree and I think that is really sweet. I've also told him that we all buy presents for each other, he's just got the concept of presents and he's excited about that too. I've tried to focus a bit on giving to others as well, but hey, he's a little kid so I'm happy for him to have lots of pressies and have a wild Christmas morning.

I love some of the ideas in this thread, will think about introducing some when he's a bit older. I love the Christmas as a big month-long festival, we have so few community celebrations in our society, and I think they're important, whatever meaning you attribute to them.

[widdly]

DS believes that Santa is the one who comes and leaves all the presents and I will leave it that way til he starts asking questions. I am not going to lie to him about it. I have a little plan for when he comes home from school and says that a kid told him santa isnt real, Im just gonna say, well what do you think? If he says yes santa is real, then I will tell him to ignore the nay sayers, if he says he thinks santa isnt real, then i will explain that he is pretend, mum buys all the presents, but he must pretend that he is real for the little kids.

I love the month long christmas celebration idea!!

[Moi]

Just Me - Thanks for sharing your advent calender events. Such a fantastic idea.

And thanks everyone for your feedback. Until I started this thread I thought I was totally alone in my thinking, but now know there are others out there who feel the same way.

[CrazyCat]

If we ever asked about santa, mum would say that she picks the presents and gives santa the money, and he buys and delivers them christmas eve. lol =P

[NaeNae]

I have not read through all the replies but I just wanted to touch on something that has stuck with me from my childhood. We grew up believing in Santa (not to mention other things) and I will NEVER forget the night my beliefs were shattered.
Mum and Dad always said "believe what you want" BUT placed emphasis on Santa/Easter Bunny etc.
It was Easter and dad woke me up accidently but leaving easter eggs in my room ... I was devasted. One because my beliefs were FALSE there was no such thing as Santa/Easter bunny etc and the WORST thing was knowing Mum and Dad LIED to us .... even though they said to believe what we wanted, they indirectly encouraged and fueled our beliefs in the make believe.
I really cannot convey how it affected us but I remember feeling so hurt and betrayed.
I know its hard but I would go all or nothing, I am not sure what we will teach our children, might need to discuss this with DH.

One Question ... how do you tell extended family what yuo are and aren't doing? I know my parents (MUM) will put extra emphasis on Santa but I just would hate for Shae to feel what I felt all those years ago.

[widdly]

Yep, I was quite old when my Mum finally told me they weren't real, I was absolutely shattered that santa was fake Christmas lost all its magic, BUT while I did believe in santa xmas was mega exciting, so I like that i believed for a while.

[tinkerbelle]

Gosh.. I myself have had this discussion with DH and he has made me feel so guilty about not wanting to bring our children up to believe in Santa.. For various reasons, partly religious, and partly other reasons, I just could not bring myself to indulge my children in this fantasy.. so at the current time, hubby and I have a very 'soured' compromise that he will teach them about Santa if he wants to, but he cannot expect me to support this belief when I feel uncomfortable about it.. so Ive told DH that if the children come to me to ask questions about Santa or want to talk about Santa, that I will be telling them to go and ask their Dad about it. and if they ask me if Santa is real, I will ask them what they think without giving them an answer either way.. - hubby is not happy at all.. !!
And gosh, it will be considered an absolute crime by my in laws when they find out I want nothing to do with Santa.. Im not looking forward to that day!!
I would also love ideas on how to compromise on this issue if anyone has any..

[tinkerbelle]

Oh and Nae Nae - I can totally relate!! Thats exactly how I felt when I found out Santa was not real - my whole reality shattered and I could not believe my parents would lie to me.. Mum still says to this day I would not have been old enough to think such thoughts.. but I can clearly remember how I felt and what I thought!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I desperately did not want Santa. I hate Santa. I hate the whole "god of winter" thing and the materialism and judgement.

I hate even more that a woman at Liebling's childcare - one of the workers - has told him that unless he gets perfectly toilet trained then "Father Christmas won't give you any presents because you are naughty." They had a Santa at Childcare and Liebs was so surprised when his name was called... I am VERY not happy with this woman!

DH likes Santa. My sister makes a big thing of Santa, despite me telling her we don't do that.

I have compromised and said that gifts are fine; DS likes giving. I am willing to tell DS the story of St Nicholas and The Night Before Christmas as well. I am happy to explain the traditions of the stocking by the fire. I will also explain that Nicholas is long-dead and it's just a rememberance.

We make Christmas about the birth of Jesus. Which fair enough, it isn't. I mean, shepherds watching their flocks by night all seated on the ground in the bleak midwinter would be very foolish. If not all dead the next day. But when the world is dark, we remember that Jesus is the light of the world. (This also means I can sing carols from September, as Jesus was probably born around then.) And his being born was a miracle. We also remember that Christmas without Easter is meaningless. For advent, DS hangs a star on the tree every day, thanking God for something as he does so. Which is the reason why we put our tree up on the last Saturday of November.

One final point - Leibs will be told that "Santa Claus" is from the Spanish and another name for Nicholas. I don't even use Saint Nicholas: I don't call my husband Saint Ambassador. "Saint" is just one of the early words for "Christian". I disagree with "Father Christmas" more - the Father of Christmas would be the father of Christ... I'm fairly sure that the Almighty doesn't deliver Lego. (Although thank You God that we have Lego, which is a great fun toy and encourages hand-eye co-ordination and creativity, and thank You for giving us the means to buy Lego.)

[Early Kids]

We don't do Santa here, but won't be discouraging it either. If the kids decide that Santa is real then we will go with that. On the day I just hand out the presents without saying this is from mum and dad, etc.