Santa Clause?

[Daisy14'sDH]

How was the truth revealed to you? After reading in the thread how a religous teacher un did the magic for a 5 and 7 year old it got me thinking about how I was told.

It was at church, I was 7 years old. This is my first recollection of the possibility that the Jolly old elf may not be all that I was told.

My brother was in a foul mood, and we were singing Jingle Bells trying to encourage the Man in Red to bless us with his presence when he leaned over during an interlude and whispered "Santa Claus is Make Beleive."

I didnt hear him clearly so I asked him to repeat himself, my oldest brother who was sitting on my other side reached around me and flicked him in the ear before he could reply. He then leaned in and whispered to me that Santa comes from "Maple Leaf Village" which sounds an awful lot like "Make Belief" in a church full of people belting out the wonderful lyrics to a great xmas jingle. Maple Leaf Village BTW was a local theme park just over in Niagara Falls so that got me even more excited knowing full well that this important person was Canadian and a local!!!

After my oldest brother corrected my middle brother I beleived whole heartedly for another 2 years until snooping around I found gifts tagged to me from Santa... 2 weeks before they were deposited under the tree... the whole family knew I knew the truth when after I had unwrapped my Megatron Transformer I walked up to my Grandmother and gave her the biggest kiss and hug I could muster in my joy over the perfect gift, and said to her " Thank you Santa I love you"...

Now with all my story before you, how did you lose your Santa?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The truth revealed itself for me. My mom (military) sent me to her closet to get another uniform as something was wrong with the one she was ironing. The gifts were stored in the uniform closet--and they were not carefully covered. I think she just had a moment of forgetfulness. That was 3rd grade.

Not sure with my sister as she lived with her dad.

My brother had to be told, my mom felt anyway. He had gotten to an age where most kids did not believe any longer and he still very much did. She didn't want him to get bullied. That is her story anyway. I was not a participant in that discussion. I don't recall the age--but somewhere between 9 and 12. I remember being shocked at the number, but cannot remember the number.

My 10yo is hemming and hawing in belief. She already knows I'm the toothfairy. 2 nights in a row, I fell asleep before doing the transaction and she was devestated. She really thought the tooth fairy forgot. I just couldn't come up with anything quick on the spot--so just revealed the truth. She wasn't bummed or anything. We don't stop the traditions just because the man behind the curtain is revealed. We just ask that she not spoil the magic for others. She is 10 and this was all in recent months.

But--noone loses Santa. I got gifts from Santa until I graduated high school.

I do not label any gift "from Santa"--but I don't label them from mom or dad either. Part of the fun. 10yo hadn't noticed. So she was surprised. I try my darnedest each year to use special wrapping paper that my children haven't seen in a store.

 

[*Meagan*]

No one officially ever said there is no santa. It is just something I came to realize I guess. I love believing in him! It makes Christmas much more magical!

Actually in middle school my parents reminded me that believing in santa or the spirit of santa makes the holidays special. And its way more fun to believe then not too. Also if I didn't believe he would not leave presents!

I can not wait to have children so they can experience the holiday magic!

 

[JaneBanks]

A Christmas Story. Yes, the movie.

One night I was watching the movie, I'm not sure how old I was, maybe 10. It came to the part where the parents send Ralphie and Randy to bed on Christmas Eve. The father waited for their bedroom door to slam shut and then said "Okay, lets get 'em".

I then realized he was talking about the presents and it just clicked for me. It was a sad day in my little 10 year old mind.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

On my first day of Kindergarten one of the children in our class asked us to sit on the left if we still believed in Santa Claus and sit on the right if you didn't think he was real and your parents left the gifts. I stood in the middle for a bit and sat with the whole class who chose not to believe.

I came home and asked my Mother. She confirmed the truth and threatened me with bodily harm if I told my little sister. And there ended the belief of Santa Claus. The Easter Bunny and Tooth fairy pretty much just fell into place of not being real.

But I was never sad. I have never lost the faith in Christmas Spirit, the kindness of people in the season, and our ability to provide food, shelter, clothing, and gifts for our children even through the roughest times in our lives, and the same could be said regarding my parents. The Christmas Spirit holds strong on my heart strings and will until the day I die. Happy Holidays to all!

 

[arubio0801]

My father told me!!! When I was in 4th grade, he was very mad at his wife and we'll we we're shopping for our christmas tree!! I was soo upset that he had told me out of being mad at someone else. My mom found out yrs later and was sooo upset with him!!

 

[ThisIsJason]

Neither of my parents told me. Though for the life of me I can not remember when I stopped believing. Might have been second of third grade.

 

[MiniGirl]

I remember my mom turning to me and saying, "Oh, by the way, you do know Santa isn't real, right?" Of course, I had stopped believing in Santa years earlier, so it wasn't a big deal. I still enjoyed getting up early on Christmas morning and unwrapping gifts, etc. Christmas was no less magical for me just because I knew the secret.

 

[yellowlabforever]

Well there was a note addressed to my sister and I when I was around 9-12 from Santa, thanking us for the cookies and telling us which gift was which.

I instantly recognized it as my dad's handwriting

I told my mom that the note looked suspiciously like dad's handwriting, and she told me that Santa was more of a spirit than a real person, and that the Christmas spirit entered every parent at Christmas time. I like the way that she explained it to me, it let me down gently while still telling the truth.

 

[kimblebee]

I can't remember how old I was but I'm thinking around 11 or so. We always left a Vegemite sandwich and milk for Santa and a few cookies for dessert. That night my dad came to tuck me in and I remember his breath smelled like Vegemite and I put 2 and 2 together.

I have a younger sister and 2 younger brothers so I always went along with it. I have never had the official " Santa isn't real" talk with my parents so I still believe. Must be why we all still get Santa presents and stockings.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I don't remember my age, but my younger brother woke me up Christmas Eve a bit after midnight. We shared a room, and he heard a noise downstairs. I told him that I would check it out. My father was under the tree assembling toys. I turned around, and there was my little brother. He was devastated. I took him back to the room and explained that Dad was just helping Santa put them together after Santa dropped them off.

At any rate, I still believe.

"At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Though I've grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."

 

[DAISY DUCK FAN!]

From what I can remember, my dad told me stressing that I couldn't tell my siblings (I'm the oldest).

The next day I got up and asked if I could tell one of my sisters. My dad was furious!

I was entirely too young to be told & expected to keep it a secret.

 

[kacaju]

I don't remember ever being told there was no Santa. I do remember finding gifts in Mom's closet one year...but maybe I already knew?? I don't know...it was just one of those things that in time just faded away. The same with my kids. They are now 17, 14 and 10...I never had any kind of discussion with them about Santa not being real...in time they just knew...now if they heard it from friends...no clue....like me...it just faded over time.

Itr amazes me to see how many people/kids truly struggle over this issue. for us it has never been an issue. A fun tradition that I knew had a limited time on it.

 

[luvsJack]

I wasn't told, I just got to the age to realize same thing with my kids.

But the fact is, I still believe. I believe in Santa as the spirit of giving and the spirit of Christmas. And, also, because its fun to think about this wonderful toy shop hidden in the North Pole where all kinds of magical things happen and you can really get anything you ask for!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Well, I had more trouble believing the tooth fairy than Santa. So one time I lost a tooth and didn't tell my mother. Then, when no quarter appeared the next morning, I approached my mother. She then told me about the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny.

When I replied by asking about Santa, her reply was that "We'll talk about it another time." I got it. She later admitted that she wasn't ready to give up Santa, yet.

 

[Rora]

I don't remember how old I was but I was probably in late elementary school.

I actually found out via the Easter Bunny. My mom and I went shopping for Easter candy that she was going to just "have on hand" for her and my dad to munch on. Riiighttt..

I thought nothing of it until I saw that my Easter basket was filled with the same type of candy. Being old enough to realize what was going on, I confronted my mom saying that I saw her buy all this candy.. then the truth came out about the Bunny. I asked about Santa, and she told me he wasn't real either. Same with the toothfairy, etc.

I was heartbroken. I spent the rest of the day crying and being very very upset.

Christmas isn't nearly as good without "Santa". I can't wait to do be Santa for my kiddies.

 

[plutotek]

I'm sorry, but what are you guys talking about? DW and her sis have inherited the same Santa Claus Catcher (looks like a bear trap) they used when they were young. All they've ever caught is a bit of suit or trim off the suit, but they always get something. Therefore, I submit, we have empirical evidence that he's real.