Poll: Does Santa Claus exist? More importantly, what will you tell your children?

[Jaythulhu]

It is logically impossible for anyone to believe that "Santa Claus" exists, and for someone to tell their children so makes them an idiot. The fat man in a white and red suit was created by the coca cola company as an advertisement. No matter that he's based off of the christian Saint, Nicholas, "Santa Claus" as such is a myth, an advertising aid, nothing more.

All that rant aside, there are going to be people who believe that lying to their children is the best thing for the whole "season". Though these people really need some counseling, there's not a lot we rational, intelligent people can do about it. It's very similar to the religion debate. There are some people who are going to believe what they're told no matter what. Really, they deserve our pity more than our abuse, no matter how much fun there is to be had at their expense.

 

[dalek sec]

Don't have to worry about this because I'm not having kids ever. Hence I don't have to dread this subject coming up at all.

 

[darthsmily]

I will tell my children that Santa Claus is a representation of good will, peace and harmony that Christmas is about.

 

[Ultrajoe]

It is logically impossible for anyone to believe that "Santa Claus" exists, and for someone to tell their children so makes them an idiot. The fat man in a white and red suit was created by the coca cola company as an advertisement. No matter that he's based off of the christian Saint, Nicholas, "Santa Claus" as such is a myth, an advertising aid, nothing more.

All that rant aside, there are going to be people who believe that lying to their children is the best thing for the whole "season". Though these people really need some counseling, there's not a lot we rational, intelligent people can do about it. It's very similar to the religion debate. There are some people who are going to believe what they're told no matter what. Really, they deserve our pity more than our abuse, no matter how much fun there is to be had at their expense.

Snopes shot down the whole 'santa is a coke invention' ages ago. People who believe this deserve our pity more than our abuse, no matter how much fun there is to be had at their expense.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Snopes shot down the whole 'santa is a coke invention' ages ago. People who believe this deserve our pity more than our abuse, no matter how much fun there is to be had at their expense.

Well, I almost agree with ya, but it's a fact that coca cola created the santa claus as we know him today, despite the good works that snopes has done. Santa in the red and white suit was created by the coca cola company during the 1920s as a marketing tool.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

No. I will tell the truth. I won't make a big deal of it, but I'm not going to lie and conform to all the stupid Santa nonsense that America gets smothered with every year.

Everyone else can tell their kids whatever they want.

 

[I III II X4]

I believe in Santa as being this...

Santa is the sudden generous urge you feel that makes you donate old toys/clothes or money. Santa is the force that compels us to volunteer our time.

Santa is...many things. I can't really explain it, but Santa does exist, if only in our minds and hearts.

 

[Jaythulhu]

I believe in Santa as being this...

Santa is the sudden generous urge you feel that makes you donate old toys/clothes or money. Santa is the force that compels us to volunteer our time.

Santa is...many things. I can't really explain it, but Santa does exist, if only in our minds and hearts.

I volunteer my time 3 days out of every 7 anyway. It's sure as hell not because I'm christian (i'm actually an excommunicate catholic), nor is it because of any santa-complex. I do it because it is needed, and I am in a position to help out. "Santa" does not exist, in any way, shape or form. The closest thing is the christian saint nicholaus. Google him if you need to. "Santa", such as he were, is a lie, a falsehood and and advertising aid, that's all. There is no more truth to him than there is the x-men.

 

[Powerhelix]

Lieing is lieing. Lieing is wrong. I wont ever tell my kid that it is real.

 

[Stormcloud23]

Of course Santa is real... He lives in Roveniemi, Finland... Fact

 

[PatientGrasshopper]

Don't have to worry about this because I'm not having kids ever. Hence I don't have to dread this subject coming up at all.

Plus I bet if Daleks did have kids the would "Exterminate, Exterminate" for those of you who don't get it it's a Doctor Who joke directed at Dalek's username).

Yes the world is not a pretty place but lying to your kids just makes it worse. It perpetuates a problem,dishonesty.

 

[axia777]

It is sad that 103 people voted yes. Kind of pathetic really. I tell my daughter he does exist, but she will learn in time that it is all just a mythic fairy tale that is told for fun. Kind of like religion and the Easter Bunny. I figured the Santa thing around ten. I figure she will too.

Lying is lying. Lying is wrong. I wont ever tell my kid that it is real.

Are you religious? I hope not.....

 

[searanox]

No offspring for a variety of reasons. However, I do think that it's patently ridiculous to delude anybody when you supposedly care about them, unless that delusion is evoked in order to provide a greater positive emotion later on. In the case of Santa Claus, if anything, it's a let-down for a child, a rude awakening to the reality of the world.

 

[runtheplacered]

Snopes shot down the whole 'santa is a coke invention' ages ago. People who believe this deserve our pity more than our abuse, no matter how much fun there is to be had at their expense.

Well, I almost agree with ya, but it's a fact that coca cola created the santa claus as we know him today, despite the good works that snopes has done. Santa in the red and white suit was created by the coca cola company during the 1920s as a marketing tool.

Santa Claus as we know him in modern times (of course you can go much further back then this) started with the story "The Night Before Christmas" in 1823. Then in 1902 he became quite popular with the book "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus". In 1915 White Rock Beverages used Santa Claus to sell their products. Coca-Cola finally came along in the 30's (not the 20's) and helped make him even more popular, but to say Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus is incredibly false. Not even close. It's an urban legend, nothing more. Feel free to do all the research you need to, but unless you have some supporting evidence I see no reason to reply with "Yes he was" since that's pretty much been shot down now.

He was invented long ago and has evolved slowly but steadily through the years and would have been just fine whether Coca-Cola existed or not.

http://www.bevnet.com/news/2006/12-18-2006-white_rock_coke_santa_claus.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus#American_origins
http://www.whiterocking.org/santa.html#article
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/cocacola.asp

Hopefully 4 websites is enough to get the picture.

 

[soren7550]

This is something I think about a lot whether or not to tell my future kids if there is a Santa or not. That is something I would have to discuss w/ the husband/father.

 

[runtheplacered]

No offspring for a variety of reasons. However, I do think that it's patently ridiculous to delude anybody when you supposedly care about them, unless that delusion is evoked in order to provide a greater positive emotion later on. In the case of Santa Claus, if anything, it's a let-down for a child, a rude awakening to the reality of the world.

It's not really a let down at all. Generally children feel quite smart after being able to solve the Santa Claus mystery on their own.

The rest of your comment just sounded like an excuse to use the word "delude" a couple of times, since the rest of it doesn't make any sense. Unless you're being serious that parents who tell their children about Santa don't care about their children. In which case you would deserve to be ignored at the least.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Why not tell your child about Santa?
It reinforces that little part inside of people that says, it can.
People who lack that part are often very cold-hearted and imbittered.

Not necessarily, I found out about Santa and a normal age and I'm still cold-hearted.

Anyway, I'd let them get to an appropriate age then shatter the illusion like a car through a glass house.

 

[searanox]

It's not really a let down at all. Generally children feel quite smart after being able to solve the Santa Claus mystery on their own.

The rest of your comment just sounded like an excuse to use the word "delude" a couple of times, since the rest of it doesn't make any sense. Unless you're being serious that parents who tell their children about Santa don't care about their children. In which case you would deserve to be ignored at the least.

I'm not really sure you understood what I was saying. I never claimed that parents who delude their children are bad parents or don't have good intentions, simply that as a matter of principle I would not lie to someone I cared about.

 

[runtheplacered]

It's not really a let down at all. Generally children feel quite smart after being able to solve the Santa Claus mystery on their own.

The rest of your comment just sounded like an excuse to use the word "delude" a couple of times, since the rest of it doesn't make any sense. Unless you're being serious that parents who tell their children about Santa don't care about their children. In which case you would deserve to be ignored at the least.

I'm not really sure you understood what I was saying. I never claimed that parents who delude their children are bad parents or don't have good intentions, simply that as a matter of principle I would not lie to someone I cared about.

The reason is because Santa and the whole feeling of Christmas is something that can bring a tremendous amount of joy to a child. You're using the word lie in a fairly negative context. As if that's the end all be all of the situation. It's not. My question for you is, why would you want to neglect a child of the joy that Christmas can bring? Why is it a negative situation to allow your child to believe in such things? What's the end result of believing in Santa as a very young person?

I just think you're looking at the whole thing as Black & White. It's a lie, therefore it's automatically evil. But, that really isn't the whole story. And it does not make you a bad person to raise a child in this manner. I understood exactly what you said the first time, I really didn't need it reiterated to me.