A Royal Opinion: Keeping Santa in Christmas Without Lying About Him

There is always much-to-do about telling children the truth about Santa.  Each year, mothers post social media updates reminding all of their followers to be careful about the way they speak about Santa around their children.  Furthermore, there is always the pivotal moment during every Christmas season that all parents dread: the moment when some older brat at school will rat out Santa and the jig will be up.  

I can remember the day that I discovered Santa wasn’t real.  I always had suspicions but could never confirm them.  That was until I stumbled upon a Christmas gift in my parents’ closet thatwas on my list to Santa. No, I wasn’t actively looking.  You see, at our old apartment in Mississippi, the bathroom was directly connected to my parents’ closet, which led into their bedroom.  It must have been the newborn, my little brother, who had them off their game because they left the door slightly open.  As a 9 year old, I had to find something to occupy my mind while using the restroom.  So, as my eyes began to wander, I noticed a Skechers shoe box that was quite possibly the pair that I had put on my list to Santa.  Sure enough, on Christmas morning, those shoes were one of my gifts. The Claus was out of the bag. 

I can’t say that I was disappointed at all.  In fact, as a kid, I really hated when people lied to me (a feeling that has carried over into my adulthood).  I didn’t realize it at the time, but being lied to meant that someone else was making a decision for me.  A decision about what I believed.  A decision about how I would conduct myself with the false information that was given to me.  It is for this same reason that I don’t think we should lie to children about the details of Mr. Claus. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that we completely erase Santa from our homes and from our holiday narratives with our children.  There is a sense of magic and kindness that comes along with the idea of Santa Claus.  A sense of extensive giving, charity, and hope.  However, I don’t believe that our children should think that there is a loner sitting at the North Pole crafting gifts with little people, sliding down our chimneys on Christmas Eve (or vents if you don’t have a fireplace), eating our food, and depositing presents under our well lit and extravagantly decorated trees.  Santa should be regarded as the fictional, magical, man that he is and children should know the truth about giving.  That it is a selfless act that requires love, thought, and care.  They should know that their parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, school friends, and church friends wanted to enjoy the fruits of their own labor by giving.  Children should understand that their parents worked hard all year long and now get to bless them with special gifts for a special occasion.  They should also understand that giving gifts is more rewarding than receiving them.  I’ve heard lots of parents say that telling children the truth is too complicated and too heartbreaking for their innocent minds to comprehend.  I promise you that you are not taking away your child’s innocence by telling them the true story of giving.  Furthermore, your children are way smarter than you give them credit for.  Lastly, creating a spirit of giving in children’s lives early on will surely carry over into adulthood when they are making decisions to contribute to society and involve themselves in philanthropy. 

In short, keep the magic of Santa in Christmas without lying about him.  You can certainly keep your black Santas on your fireplace mantles and around your Christmas trees.  You can most definitely go see Santa at the mall and have your kids take a cute picture with him.  But let us not forget that the holiday is indeed about the birth of Christ, hence the namesake, and that tempering our gift-giving with a complete lie is quite lazy.  

They say the truth hurts but only when it is offered in the absence of hope. Keep the hope, lose the lie.