santa- is he real in your house?

[Deejoy17]

Santa is real in our house, the boys write a letter to Santa (with help from Mummy), we then leave it by Santa`s plate of biscuits and a cup of milk by the Christmas Tree, then we leave food and water out for the reindeers.

Our tree goes up after DH`s Birthday, so anytime after 7th December.

[Snoopea]

We were always told as kids that if we didn't believe we wouldn't get pressies! Going to follow the same with my monkeys. DD knows that Santa has helpers that's why he's in a range of different shops ect but she's never asked me if he's real waiting for the day to come!!!

Here we are huge on christmas and already a few things are popping up around the house, the tree would be up already but DH is insistant on waiting till the 1st of november, I'm too big to fit in the roof and can't get it down so guess I'll be waiting!
As kids we use to put the tree up on pagent weekend, but I enjoy craft activites with the kiddies and we start them early hence the tree coming out early!

Snoopea

[Arimeh]

Nope no santa - or christmas tree - in this house

The rest of my siblings and my mum always go all out at christmas time though

[C~Q]

Nope no santa - or christmas tree - in this house

The rest of my siblings and my mum always go all out at christmas time though

Why is that Mel, Is it a religious thing?

(You don't have to explain if you don't want to - just being nosy lol!)

[Arimeh]

Why is that Mel, Is it a religious thing?

(You don't have to explain if you don't want to - just being nosy lol!)

CQ - nope not a religious thing.

In a nutshell - its feeding the fat cats of society and for the most part, has stuff all to do with family gatherings. We feel that christmas should be about spending time with family - not having a mentality of "oh if I go see nana today, I'll get a present".. we want our kids to spend time with their family because they love them, not because there is something given to them IYKWIM?

We don't celebrate other "special days/holidays" either, eg, valentines day, easter - because we aren't of the religion (for those interested we are closest to neo-pagans) that celebrate them for a specific reason, and not just get caught up in the commercialised crap that the materialistic world wants you to get sucked in to.

In a nutshell of course

Are you sorry you asked now?

[kelebek]

This is such an interesting thread & as we are new parents to a littly is something we are discussing & reviewing cause in our opinion, similar to Arimeh, it is way too commercialised & essentially we are lying to our children for what end? so they when the do work it out they keep quite cause they still want presents?
This isn't something we want in our house & we aren't particularly religious either & we have never celebrated them in the past so why do we want to now? we do however always go camping & get together with family.

When the grandparents found out that we were serious they are definitely shocked which has led as to discuss the idea again. I like the idea of having a tree & talking about santa but in more of a fictional way. I think we will be explaining all the different meanings of christmas but santa ain't visiting, doesn't mean we can't have decorations & a tree & presents (but not over the top like I see in way too many households) & caroling....

[angelaartsstudent]

I am 22 and my mum still gives me a present from her and some little present from "Santa" which arrive from her house in a 'santa sack' or xmas stocking i've had since i was a kid...however it's more about general love and giving and feeling peaceful and happy at xmas for us rather than ever actually believing that Santa was real. It was FAB when I was a kid, my parents went to all sorts of lengths to make the magic come alive for my sister and I and I am grateful for that (despite the Santa lie lol) becuase Xmas is one of my fave times of year...I really enjoy putting on the day at my place and being able to provide a feast for my family not matter how little money I have (and last xmas was a real struggle to provide for but my family said they loved it anyway).

I am undecided as to what I will do for my kids in regards to Santa. I don't want to spin them a lie but then I am not religious and do not want to treat it as Jesus' birthday. I I do however love the idea that it originated as a Roman feast and celebration of being happy, healthy and alive (which originated from a Pagan celebration of the Solstice and etc).

And I still raise a glass to the Romans and the Pagans at Xmas, as does my religious mother :-)

[C~Q]

Are you sorry you asked now?

Nope I think it's great that you have strong views on something that goes against mainstream thinking and you stick by your guns. I think it shows incredible strength of character.

But that does not mean we forget what Christmas is really about. The question "is Santa real in your house" YES , but is that the only thing that is talked about around Christmas .... NO.

I think thats a fantastic way to put it!

I find it very hard to figure out what to tell my kids with regards to the other side of Xmas (the religious side). I am Jewish and was rasied in a semi-practising Reform family (not very srtrict) so we went to Synagogue on holidays and thats pretty much it. We always celebrated Xmas and even went Carroling which strangely, I never found strange at all. I remember Mum and Dad always making us draw the curtains before we turned the tree lights on incase the Rabbi up the road saw them! And if he did we had to call it a Hannukah Bush!!!

For me, now I am not religious and don't know what I believe to be honest so to avoid questions I truely don't know how to answer, Xmas is all about Santa and the pressies in this house! It's also aout friends since all my family are in England, and getting together and eating and drinking and playing games. I have no idea what it's going to be like this year - me and the kids and hopefully XDH but who knows...

Wow, what a waffle, sorry!

[shellbell3]

Even tho Santa will be in our house we still don't just focus on him, we also include Jesus as we were included as kids and yes definately family is huge one always has been for us.
We don't spend alot money, rules in our family is presents only for the kids and we don't spend huge amounts either.
I think its just a matter of finding a nice balance between the real meaning of xmas plus all the magic and imagination that comes with it also. I admit I still get excited and feel all the old feelings from my kiddy days when I see decos set up and trees and I'm still dreaming of having a white xmas!