Is it bad for a child to believe in Santa Claus?

[aiki]

I treasure all those years of excitement and wonder - and yes, even the year or two spent thinking about the impossibility of it all. I do not consider it "lying to your children." I consider it participating in make-believe, something all children need as a regular part of child development. And yes, I played make-believe in other ways with my son, such as having a picnic in the living room and making believe we were at a park, or building a fort and making believe we were in a forest. In fact, I've never in my life heard of anyone against the idea of Santa until I went onto the internet. Wow, talk about depriving children of a beloved childhood experience.

Couple of things:

Pretending you're in the park having a picnic when you're in your living room is rather different from telling your child there is a fat, bearded man at the North Pole who will be bringing them presents in a magical sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. Your child can look around the living room and see that they are not, in fact, in a park, whatever they choose to imagine; they are under no real illusion that they are in a park having a picnic. With Santa, however, the make-believe for children is not so evidently illusory. Santa shows up when they aren't looking; he lives out of sight of everybody; he has magical powers. And the children's parents are speaking and acting so as to confirm that Santa does indeed exist. In fact, there are movies, and books, and pictures of him everywhere; he even shows up at the mall for pictures! For a young child, this is a rather more complex and powerful illusion than sitting in the living room imagining one is in the forest!

Christmas isn't about Santa Claus. It's about Christ. Santa is a competing figure in the minds of little children (if they know about Christ at all). In fact, given his gift-giving propensities, and his flying reindeer, and apple-cheeked, cheerful chubbiness, he is much more attractive to children than a baby born 2000 years ago. As North American culture secularizes and the advent of God into human history fades to black, it is all the more important for Christians to hold fast to the real meaning of Christmas, undiluted and unobscured by fantasies of a fat guy in red slithering down chimneys.

And on that note:

THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

 

[Dan Brooks]

Children's hearts don't always know what's real and what's not real. And no matter how much their hearts say something is real, it can be totally false. As parents it is good to teach them to tell what is real from what is not. It is our duty, as parents, to do what the Bible says and be models, by keeping our lips from telling lies.

It's no big deal to tell your kids the truth! As I mentioned above I told my child the truth and neither of us has regretted it a bit. The Bible says to be more concerned about the Heavenly Father's opinion than men's opinions. I think some parents go on with the Santa tales because they don't want to seem "out of it" in our culture. Or, they are reliving nostalgic moments from their childhood. Make new nostalgic moments with truth about the Savior!

I was never told that Santa was real, and I never believed he was. And I'm glad for that. I always knew it was my parents who gave me the presents, and much more importantly than that, I knew that Christ was the gift God gave us.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

[Tutorman]

My 7 year old believes in Santa Claus and I was wondering is bad for kids to believe in Santa Claus. I always remind her that the gifts are blessings from God. I thought about telling her the truth but I don't want to break her heart.

Absolutely not. I still believe in Santa Claus and know now that he really is St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas Center ::: The Real Santa

 

[PanDeVida]

My 7 year old believes in Santa Claus and I was wondering is bad for kids to believe in Santa Claus. I always remind her that the gifts are blessings from God. I thought about telling her the truth but I don't want to break her heart.

Who is the "reason for the season" Santa Claus or the Birth of Jesus Christ? Truth is Jesus Christ is the reason for all seasons.

Parents are the first teachers of Christianity to their children. If a parent chooses to teach their child about Santa Claus, theirs is the blame for breaking their children hearts later and no one else.

My parents, never taught me about Santa when I was a Child, they taught me about Jesus Christ, that Jesus, is the Reason for Christmas, His Birth, and that He gives the True Gift of Salvation Himself, is by His Death.

Luce, the truth will set you free.

 

[Blade]

Do you wont truth? Well is Santa Claws real? There was someone yes. But the Santa claws we are talking about now is someone with POWER that the Child because of US and then this world believe in MORE want something this MADE UP person can not give. Do say Santa claws gives toys sees who is bad and nice. Is 100% a lie. Do YOU know Santa is real or not? Does he can him come down that chimney?

Then tell them the truth. Now I haver in my life bent the rules which means I am just as wrong. Well Halloween. I told my kids.. we go door to door because on this day people out free candy. And yet they would dress up. They stopped dressing up very early on their own. So.. not saying I am better in any of this.

But we need to remember GOD IS NOT A MAN. His ways His thinking.. it is ours? So.. its NEVER ok to lie to mislead. And a child that we KNOW will believe ANYTHING..to miss lead them as if..ooh is not that cute.. they leave out cookies for Santa. As if theres such a thing as a white lie. As if GOD is ok with lying to a child HE made. That is HIS..get that.. HE made it not you. We can lol call them ours but.. that child belongs to a GOD....so if you can say it to GOD and no care..

Its never ok to lie. Why not just say.. there is no Santa Claws that has reindeer and gives out toys. Those toys come from Mom.. or Dad..or mom and dad. As it LYING is better..as if NOT telling the truth is.. for a child the wrong thing

 

[SeekingServant]

Don't tell them that Santa Claus isn't real- they'll figure that out. Instead, tell them the story of St. Nicholas. Then tell them, "That's Santa".

That's exactly what we're doing now. We started celebrating St. Nicholas Day this year and it has really made this time of year more special and sacred. We also are very much into observing Advent as a family and my kids are really picking up on the reason for the celebration. I never grew up believing in Santa Claus because my parents were Jehovah's Witnesses when I was very small so they didn't celebrate Christmas. We didn't get presents during that time either. So we just didn't celebrate and I was "that kid" who kind of blew it for the other kids. Yeah, I was a bit of a dork about it.

 

[LoricaLady]

Why does St. Nicholas (who wasn't all he is cracked up to be if you do the research) make anything sacred? Does the Savior need help from him for things to be sacred? What is there about the story of the Lamb that needs support from "Saint" Nicholas? It doesn't support Him, it detracts from Him. It is a bow to our culture that just can't stand to see the Light of the world getting the exclusive credit for what He has done. Don't mix traditions of men leaven in with the Bread of Life.

 

[ValleyGal]

I feel very sorry for the posters' children who they do not allow to have the wonderful world of pretend and make-believe in the form of Santa. They are being deprived of a beloved childhood experience.

Santa does not have to detract from the reason we celebrate. This is not the birth of the Lord Jesus! We just happen to celebrate it as Jesus' birth. But that doesn't mean we can't also celebrate the spirit of giving, whether it be the gift of the Lord Jesus or gifts from Santa under the tree.

FTR, I do not have a tree. I place my nativity on a table, and place the gifts underneath as though giving to Jesus himself. "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Mt 25:40, NIV)

 

[LoricaLady]

I feel very sorry for the posters' children who they do not allow to have the wonderful world of pretend and make-believe in the form of Santa. They are being deprived of a beloved childhood experience.

Santa does not have to detract from the reason we celebrate. This is not the birth of the Lord Jesus! We just happen to celebrate it as Jesus' birth. But that doesn't mean we can't also celebrate the spirit of giving, whether it be the gift of the Lord Jesus or gifts from Santa under the tree.

FTR, I do not have a tree. I place my nativity on a table, and place the gifts underneath as though giving to Jesus himself. "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Mt 25:40, NIV)

"Santa does not have to detract..." but we both know he does. When I was a kid I hardly thought about the Bible stories associated with Christmas. But I sure thought a lot about Santa and thought he was so wonderful! Never once did I think the Savior was wonderful, though we went to Church.

My child did not get told there was a god like character who could tell if she was good or bad, and who could fly through the air. Nevertheless she had plenty of opportunities for make believe and became a literature major who is a very proficient fiction writer. Santa isn't "make believe" either. Again, the children are not told that he is make believe. They are told he is real, with all kinds of exquisite details, pretending to hear his sleigh on the roof, talking to him in department stores, leaving him cookies and so on.

The things I think we can agree on: There is no Santa. To tell innocent children he is real is to lie to them. The Bible tells us to keep lies from our lips and to raise up children in the His ways, not Santa's.

 

[DreamerOfTheHeart]

My 7 year old believes in Santa Claus and I was wondering is bad for kids to believe in Santa Claus. I always remind her that the gifts are blessings from God. I thought about telling her the truth but I don't want to break her heart.

I skipped that, and left it for my wife to tell.

A friend of mine named Michael said to me in my teens, he is santa claus with fangs. And he was lying.

Miracle on 34th Street (the old one) was certainly good.

As a metaphor for Christ.

 

[Brokenhill]

Biblically speaking, a lie is a lie. Deceit is deceit. IMO, children can still be mesmerized by the "spirit of the season" without being lied to about certain people/places.

 

[Yanni depp]

I would never have started the santa claus myth if my wife wasnt so into it. Im convincing her that we need to stop it. My daughters are 5 and 12.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Children who believe that the gifts they receive Christmas morning are from a magical man with unending resources are less likely to appreciate what they have been given, and the sacrifices their parents make in providing them. Greed and materialism can overshadow the holiday season, which is meant to be about giving, loving, and worshiping God. Children whose parents are on a tight budget may feel that they have been overlooked by Santa, or even worse, deemed one of the "bad" boys or girls.

An even more troubling aspect of telling our children that Santa comes down the chimney each year to leave their gifts is that it is, obviously, a lie. We live in a society that believes that lying for the "right" reason is acceptable. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, it is not a problem. This is contrary to what the Bible tells us. "For the Scriptures say, 'If you want to live a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies'" (1 Peter 3:10, NLT). Of course, telling our children that Santa is real is not a malicious deception, but it is, nevertheless, a lie.

Although it is probably not typical, some children honestly feel deceived and betrayed by their parents when they find out that Santa is not real. Children trust their parents to tell them the truth, and it is our responsibility not to break this trust. If we do, they will not believe more important things we tell them, such as the truth about Christ, whom they also cannot physically see.

Thank you so much for this. Believe it or not, I printed your post, handed it to my wife to read and told her I did not write it, and upon reading it, she decided we should tell our son the truth about santa, which is what I wanted all along, so we did. He had kind of a sad look on his face at first but I think he took it well as we explained further. I think he accepted it much easier than if we had waited, his fifth birthday was a few days ago. Merry Christmas and God bless!

 

[truecatholic]

My 7 year old believes in Santa Claus and I was wondering is bad for kids to believe in Santa Claus. I always remind her that the gifts are blessings from God. I thought about telling her the truth but I don't want to break her heart.

The truth is, He is real. Its not my fault your not true Catholic
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Nicholas of Myra
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Nicholas of Myra

 

[Open Heart]

My 7 year old believes in Santa Claus and I was wondering is bad for kids to believe in Santa Claus. I always remind her that the gifts are blessings from God. I thought about telling her the truth but I don't want to break her heart.

Yes, it's fine if kids believe in Santa. My parents always told me that Santa was a wonderful game that we all played together, and I would tell them that they were wrong, that Santa was real! LOL

Generally speaking, we go through three stages in our lives with regards to Santa. The first stage is when we are very young, and we believe in a literal Santa. It's naive and innocent, and a time to be cherished, the faith of little ones. Then we go through the age of skepticism, of scientific materialism if you would, where Santa doesn't exist because the only things that exist are things you can sense and measure. Most people, though, sometime when they reach adulthood, realize that there is a whole reality of things that are not seen, felt, heard, or measured. Things, like love, justice, and truth. In that world, Santa is the spirit of Christmas giving. He is quite real. We adults give gifts on his behalf, keeping that spirit alive. If anyone doubts the existence of Santa Clause, I recommend they read the answer to Virginia in THE SUN:

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except 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 external 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 you 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 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, 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 lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.​

 

[truecatholic]

Don't tell them that Santa Claus isn't real- they'll figure that out. Instead, tell them the story of St. Nicholas. Then tell them, "That's Santa".

IS REAL Of course he is. There is such a religion the only one religion. MAYBE YOU ARE NOT BELEVING it

 

[Dan Brooks]

(What's with these people saying that Santa is real?)

 

[LoricaLady]

The truth is, He is real. Its not my fault your not true Catholic
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Nicholas of Myra
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Nicholas of Myra

Of course Santa is not St. Nicholas. You might want to research outside the box on him, too, for as I have seen he was not what he is presented as being. One way or another, did "Saint" Nicholas have godlike powers where he could fly through the air and know if children have been good or bad, and reward the good? I don't think so. What does "Saint" Nicholas have to add to the story of our Savior? Aren't the Savior and His story good enough without him? Could it be that talking about a mere, pretty mythical, mortal is actually detracting from the real Hero of the Story?

 

[LoricaLady]

Yes, it's fine if kids believe in Santa. My parents always told me that Santa was a wonderful game that we all played together, and I would tell them that they were wrong, that Santa was real! LOL

Generally speaking, we go through three stages in our lives with regards to Santa. The first stage is when we are very young, and we believe in a literal Santa. It's naive and innocent, and a time to be cherished, the faith of little ones. Then we go through the age of skepticism, of scientific materialism if you would, where Santa doesn't exist because the only things that exist are things you can sense and measure. Most people, though, sometime when they reach adulthood, realize that there is a whole reality of things that are not seen, felt, heard, or measured. Things, like love, justice, and truth. In that world, Santa is the spirit of Christmas giving. He is quite real. We adults give gifts on his behalf, keeping that spirit alive. If anyone doubts the existence of Santa Clause, I recommend they read the answer to Virginia in THE SUN:

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except 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 external 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 you 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 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, 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 lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.​

I don't see one word in that discourse talking about how the Savior of the world will live forever or pointing poor Virginia toward HIM.

 

[SolomonVII]

I think that by the time children are of the age where they really question the legitimacy of the Santa myth, this is a good tell them that Santa 'Claus is just the nickname of a real person called Saint Nicholas whose claim to saintliness comes from his love of children and his secretly giving gifts for them anonymously, such as leaving gold coins down the chimneys of their parents so that their impoverished parents might be able to redeem them from being taken as slaves for the Sultan, in lieu of the jizya tax.

Saint Nicholas is a very real person, and the gifts under their Christmas tree are real enough too.

And the reason that Santa Nicholas did the things that he did was because he was trying to live his life like Jesus, whose Incarnation into the world is what we are all celebrating by giving gifts on Christmas day.

That is the real story about Santa Claus, and by the time that a child asks his parent for the real story, that is what we can tell them. Of course there are a lot of myths added to the Christmas story too, that enrich our Christmas experience. There is no need for a parent to be a myth-buster. It is enough to say that a lot of what Christmas is, is just for fun and maybe for easy instruction too, such as the names and races of the three wise men are just for instruction that Jesus came to save everybody.
By the time that a child is seven, they can make use of the library card and separate the myths from the reality on their own.