When did you find out there was no physical Santa? He was a spirit of giving, Did you tell your parents? t

[debm55]

Last edited Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:02 AM - Edit history (5)

I was in First Grade, She showed me were the gifts were hidden. I ran into my bedroom and cried. . However, I didn;t tell my parents for a couple of years as I thought I wouldn't get anything. When did you find out or realize ?::

[wcmagumba]

1. I peeked through a hole in our backyard shed that parents had locked...

I saw a blue piece of vinyl luggage that I later got from Santa...didn't say anything...I was probably about 8 or so and already had strong doubts...fun while it lasted....

[debm55]

4. Thank you wcmagumba. I tried to come up with every excuse for why the toys were in the room, Too young not to believe,

But had the facts. That's what PMO about her telling and showing me where they were.

[NJCher]

2. my parents arranged for Santa to come to the house

With gifts. As Santa was putting them under the tree, I said, "Mom, why does Santa have Eldon's (our neighbor) wedding ring on?"

Details, details.

[debm55]

21. That's funny and thank you for sharing, NJCher

[wnylib]

66. My cousin did the same thing with the ring.

My aunt and uncle arranged for my father to show up at their house dressed as Sants for their 3 boys. The oldest knew that Santa was not real. The second one, about 7 years old, suspected but did not know for sure. The youngest was 5 and a true believer.

My mother dropped my father off a few blocks before the house and the rest of us went on to the house in the car. When we arrived, the middle kid asked where Uncle Bill was. It was a Saturday. My mother said that he got called to work overtime.

About 15 minutes later my father showed up at the door with a bag over his shoulder, white hair and beard, red suit. The oldest kid played along well. The youngest was excited. The middle kid looked skeptical. When my father handed him a wrapped present, he said, "How come Santa is wearing Uncle Bill's weddng ring?"

My aunt immediately said, "Santa has a wife, you know." Then she pulled the middle kid into the kitchen and told him not to spoil it for the youngest one.

[jls4561]

3. My dad always told me that "we're your Santa Claus"

Apparently he was so upset when he found out Santa wasn’t real, that he never wanted his precious baby girl to go through the same thing.
Nonetheless, I continued to reference Santa, have my picture taken with him, and joyfully await my stocking.
When I grew older and had some pocket money, I fixed stockings for my parents so they wouldn’t feel left out. I remember mama always got the smallest box of the Whitman’s sampler chocolates and I had to be extra sneaky in order to purchase their Santa presents.
People think it’s dreadful that I knew about Santa from an early age, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t tell my friends.

[CrispyQ]

6. Cheers for your dad!!

I never had kids but I knew I'd never do the Santa thing if I did.

[debm55]

8. Yes , you are true. Once Santa goes down. Tooth Fairy , Easter bunny go down too.

[CrispyQ]

5. I don't have kids, but I would never have perpetuated this mean myth.

I was in first grade, too. A kid at daycare told me & my cousin, & we both cried. And just like that, there went the Easter bunny & the tooth fairy & a few years later, God. So some good did come from it.

[debm55]

11. I don't know about telling or not telling. But once you find out it's all over.

[CanonRay]

7. I don't actually ever remember believing in Santa

We really didn't have a chimney, so there's that. I was one of those pain in the ass logical kids. I knew how long it took to fly around the world.

[debm55]

12. My chimney was bricked in. I didn't think about that.Sometimes kids need a little make beiieve. though it hurts when you

find out the truth.

[ShepKat]

9. I always told my kids...

St. Nick was a real person who handed out gifts a long time ago and his spirit is known as Santa. When Santa's spirit sparkles your heart, the spirit of giving and caring fills the air. They bought it lol

[debm55]

13. That is a very heartwarming I bought the whole Santa bit, and it hurt when I found out.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. What do you mean? Of course, there's a Santa!

[debm55]

14. sinkingfeeling, I do believe in Santa as a spirit of giving.

[EYESORE 9001]

15. I was TODAY years old when I found out

A most unsettling development, I must say 😤

[debm55]

16. Yes EYESORE 9001, Which leads me to the question, Should kids ever be told about Santa. I am in the middle of deciding

of not telling the Santa myth. or letting it go on. It does really hurt. I tended at certain age to tell my son it was Spirit of giving.and not a real person..

[debm55]

50. Is today your birthday. If so Happy Birthday. Eyesore 9001

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Around The Same Age, Deb

I was at the shoe store with my mom. A guy came in and talked to the 2nd clerk.
He said "These cowboy boots are from Santa, but I bought the wrong size."
It wasn't Christmas yet.
Hmmmm!
A dad BOUGHT the present, which was going to be from Santa?
Before we left the store I said "Santa's not real, is he mom?"
I remember it so well, I can still picture that dad's face.

[debm55]

18. Did you cry? Five is sort of a young age to have your bubble burst.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Not That I Recall

I might have been bummed, but I was probably also proud that I figured out.
Just guessing about that.

[debm55]

27. I cried,

[Mad_Dem_X]

19. All I remember is my dad asking me

one Christmas Eve: "You know there's no Santa Claus, right?" I answered, "I figured there wasn't." I didn't get upset or anything, I just realized one day that "Santa" was really my parents. Dad just asked me not to tell my younger sister, so I kept up with the charade, until my sister was old enough to figure out the truth.

[debm55]

20. Thank you for sharing, Mad_Dem_X

[mwmisses4289]

22. About the same time

I first heard the story "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus". I was about 7, and already beginning to realize Santa wasn't real.
Loved the story, though, still do.

[debm55]

28. Thank you mwmisses4289, Love that story.

[Solly Mack]

23. Wait, what?

Honestly can't remember ever believing.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. You Mean You Don't Remember...

...yesterday?

[Solly Mack]

26. Hush now. It still hurts.

[debm55]

29. You never believed in Santa. even for a little while.????

[Solly Mack]

33. Once, my older sister and brother, along with my mother rigged a box to fall once we were up the stairs.

Used one of my old tricks of tying a string to something and then tying the other end to a door. Open the door and the object would fall. I got into a lot of trouble while perfecting that stunt.

Anyway, once up the stairs, the string was pulled, and the noise made. The youngest of us, myself and my other sister, heard the noise and the others acted as if they didn't know who made that noise, but it must be Santa.

We ran back down the stairs to a once empty tree being full of presents. It was a cool trick.

My first reaction was, "How did you do that?". Because I was still perfecting my string stunt. I needed to know. They refused to admit to it.

I was maybe 3 or 4.

Even so, I always knew my mother bought the gifts because I was the one who went shopping with her for gifts for my siblings. I was and am killer at keeping a secret. Even under threat from much older siblings.

Same for birthdays. Always knew what they were getting.

She actually did tell us to go to bed early or Santa won't come.

I believed in the magic of it all because to me it was magical.

[debm55]

34. Thank you Solly Mack

You are loved here.

[no_hypocrisy]

30. I hid in the back hall closet with the door slightly ajar.

And saw my parents bring up the presents.

I still feel pangs of disappointment. There was and never will be anyone as wonderful as Santa Claus. You could do no wrong. (Don't believe the myth about Santa bringing coal.) Santa was better than parents. Santa was better than God.

[debm55]

31. I knew some pretty nasty kids when I was little and they got presents. So the coal myth I never believed in.

[Emile]

32. WHAT, THERE'S NO SANTA CLAUSE. .

😭😭😢😭

[debm55]

36. Emile. I believe in the spirit of Chrismas.

[debm55]

49. I don;t believe in the physical being, but i do the spiritual.

[Blappy]

35. I think my Dad told me

but I misunderstood what he said, so for a time I thought Jesus killed Santa Claus.

[debm55]

37. Oh blappy I am sorry, but your post me smile while crying.

[Blappy]

39. I recount this humorously, so no apology needed. I was kinda sad and horrified in some way

but I think when I heard Santa was a ruse for the celebration of Jesus' birthday, I had to 'blame' someone. In retrospect, I do not think Jesus would approve of the ruse, but Santa would say, "Ho Ho Ho, lighten up, dude!"

[WestMichRad]

38. I was about 8, and I'm still pissed!

Thank goodness I still have the Easter Bunny, though.

[LoisB]

41. I hate to be the one, but, about that Easter Bunny...can we talk?

[debm55]

42. Do you want me to start another thread,

[WestMichRad]

55. Don't go bursting my bubble, ya big meany!

[LoisB]

40. I don't think I ever believed there is a physical Santa Claus. If I did, it was a time before my

memory.

[debm55]

43. Thank you LoisB. I know I was 5 because we were talking about a metal dollhouse and she told me I got it and showed me

place it was hidden. ^*&%&%$$$ cousin,

[Native]

44. I was 9. My parents told me. I didn't believe them

And when it finally got through to me, I was bereft cuz I assumed he had died. Bottom line I was hysterical, and the conversation concluded with my mother saying, "We had to tell you because we figured if we didn't you would believe in Santa for the rest of your life."

[debm55]

45. Oh sweet Native I am sorry for you, But you could have believed in the Spirit of Santa. I do, and the gift of giving to

those less fortunate then ourselves.

[rsdsharp]

46. When I was in first grade, some kid I never saw before or since crossed the street just to tell me about Santa

the day after Christmas break.

That said, there’s a small sign on the wall eight feet from where I sit that reads “This House Believes.” You can take that any way you choose.

[debm55]

47. Thank you very much rsdsharp. I believe in the spirit of Santa and the blessings of Santa to help, give and welcome the

strangers.

[rsdsharp]

48. And presents.

Don’t forget presents. Lots and lots of presents 🎁 🎁 🎁!

[debm55]

51. HAHAHHAHHAH. Thank you.

[LeftInTX]

52. My mom finally confessed when I asked her for the umpteenth time at age 7.

There was just too much evidence...(All the different Santas, no chimney, store bought items, presents hidden under their bed ) I think the lying just got too old....

So, then I ask, "I guess you are the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy too?"

[Picaro]

53. Was either 6 or 7

It was a price tag from People’s Drugs left on my Lincoln Logs. Always been a born skeptic, but this price tag caused the shaky Santa narrative to fall apart.

I then checked with my middle sister and she woefully confirmed my logic. I then decided to maintain the illusion of belief for that year so as to not disrupt the ambiance.

My youngest believed until she was 11. We elected to allow her to believe as long as she liked.

[elleng]

54. I don't remember, but I STILL have a note, written by Dad, responding to my written note: 'Who r you?'

He answered "I am your best friend."

He always was, and still is. (My mother died when I was young. Dad died a few years ago, at the age of 98.)

[debm55]

65. Elleng, what a sweet post, May the memories of your parent be blessings to you

[Clouds Passing]

56. I was about 8, found the whole big stash of presents for 7 people. Then I knew.

I wasn’t upset or sad, just hmm well that is that about that.

[debm55]

57. Thank you.

[gopiscrap]

58. I was 7 living in Germany and the neighbor girl who was 11

told me both about Santa and Sex in the same conversation.needless to say it was a traumatic afternoon for me

[debm55]

63. Thank you gopiscrap. I think it is way harder to hear about it from another child.

[Dulcinea]

59. When I was little, my mother told me Santa was the spirit of Christmas.

I was fine with that. I told my kids the same thing.

[debm55]

62. As I did my son. Thank you Dulcinea.

[soldierant]

60. As one of the roughly 40% of children who

are terrified of Santa Claus ... I don't remember what age, but I was incredibly relieved.

I think it was my mom that told me. I remember one year they told me Santa was coming and I hid under the bed in panic - which gave my mother and grandmother time and space to do the gift wrapping they didn't want me to see - but it was a highly traumatic experience for me.

[debm55]

61. Thank you for your post soldierant.

[sakabatou]

64. I never believed

probably helped that I didn't grow up Christian.

[wnylib]

67. My parents had a story for why Santa arrived

at our house on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. The world was so big that he started out early and our house was on his early list.

Our church always had a Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve at 7:00 pm, put on by all the kids in the Sunday School, followed by a party and gift exchange. So we had to take a nap in the afternoon to be rested up for the evening. When we got up from our naps, the floor under the tree was covered in wrapped presents.

We were allowed to open just one gift before leaving for the pageant. It was always a piece of jewelry or clothing that we could wear that night. We opened the rest of the presents when we got home and were allowed to stay up as long as we could hold up.

I was 8 when I learned the truth. My older brother showed me where the presents were hidden in my parents' bedroom.