Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny

[slotted]

No offense taken.

I've got some pretty good lies that I can toss your way. Want to hear them?

 

[BS Gal]

generation after Generation have been told the stories of the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus, and some have gone on to be world leaders.. I don't see the harm in seeing the light in their eyes on Christmas Morning, and the disbelief on how did he get down the chimney... If you've ever had a three year old come down the stairs on Christmas Morning to see if Santa ate any of the cookies, or if Rudolf ate the carrot without any concern about the loot, you'll know what I mean. It's a memory I'll take to my grave and always remember with a smile.

Ditto that.

 

[BS Gal]

And can we block Canukwoman from this thread? I don't want to spoil her childhood.

 

[itsbob]

Christmas with my kids has always been a celebration, and all about fun, and just enjoying the time of year. To make it more enjoyable, and more fun for them I had one rule in the house NO CLOTHES under the tree. I grew up in a family of five that was not well off, I didn't know it at the time, but figure we were at or below the poverty level. Well my parents did what they could to give us a few presents every year, but they had to choose something fun or pratical. Well socks and underwear it was every year to fill out the tree but Santa brought us ONE present, a toy, one year it was a Pogo Stick, the next year a Unicycle..

Now that I am 4? I understand why, but at 6 it was heartbreaking. I want Christmas to be the happiest funnest day of the year, full of great memories.. and now that my kids are older, they choose to have clothes or not.. underwear and socks are still off limits.. Santa is part of the fun, the mystery. My 21 year old daughter still gets presents from Santa.. usually something she didn't ask for or want, but something fun.

 

[bresamil]

No it shouldn't. I think it is cute for kids to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause. Heck, it was just a few years ago that I found out the truth, and I've not been the same since.

Sux when you start getting just socks and underwear for Christmas doesn't it?

 

[tirdun]

Well, I'll share my 2 cents.

When we "broke the news" to our kids, we told them that "Santa Claus" wasn't a person (well, not anymore), but there was still an idea behind the name. Anyone who gave a gift without openly revealing the source was playing "Santa", in other words it was the spirit of giving anonymously that made you Santa Claus, not some fat dude in a red suit. So if my dad signed the present "Santa", it didn't mean it wasn't from him, he just wanted to give it without saying "from grandpa".

The kids seemed to understand that it wasn't a game or a lie, but that it added a little mystery and fun to giving presents during the season.

 

[aps45819]

:iheartaps:

 

[pixiegirl]

Now that I am 4? I understand why, but at 6 it was heartbreaking. I want Christmas to be the happiest funnest day of the year, full of great memories.. and now that my kids are older, they choose to have clothes or not.. underwear and socks are still off limits.. Santa is part of the fun, the mystery. My 21 year old daughter still gets presents from Santa.. usually something she didn't ask for or want, but something fun.

My mom does the same thing. She asks what I want or takes me shopping in order to get what I want but there are always a few small things that are from Santa.

Last year we were at my parents house for Christmas due to letting the sellers of our house rent back. On Christmas Even when my mom and I were wrapping the kids presents we went through all the presents (both the ones she bought and I bought) and decided what came from Santa and what came from each of us. It wasn't about taking recognition for what we'd actually paid for but what would make the little ones the most excited (we don't wrap Santa presents) to see first.

Noah and I also set out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. I took a bite out of a cookie. And Christmas morning snuck downstairs and put the plate and glass on the table. Before I could get the kids downstairs Mily finished up the cookies and drank the glass of milk. Noah was so excited that Santa ate all his cookies and drank all his milk.

 

[pixiegirl]

Sorry you did not understand my post.

Let me make it short for you.

The santa thing should be stopped.

Happy now?

Why though? Do you not buy your kids Christmas presents at all?

 

[Railroad]

I grew up with, and raised my kids with, the Santa Claus thing. The Easter bunny evaporated pretty quickly for me and my kids, though. It's hard to juxtaposition the incredible anguish of Jesus' death on the cross, the boundless joy of His resurrection, and some fuzzy little rabbit that hides eggs.

Naysayers notwithstanding, we had no problem making the kids understand that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth, and that in celebrating the amazing gift from God of Jesus, Christmas is a time of giving gifts.

The Santa Claus myth was a fun thing to do with the kids when they were very little (younger than 10). It in no way interefered with or detracted from the reverent worship of our Lord.

Having said all that, I'll quote a line from "Miracle on 34th Street" - "Yeah, there's a lotta -isms in this world, but worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck..."

And that's where the Madison Avenue Santa and the Real Meaning of Christmas butt heads. Needless to say, although Christmas is usually huge and very expensive in our home, for me and my house, it really IS the thought that counts. A crayon picture or a hand-made wooden thingamajig is as grand and wonderful as (and MORE than!) any store-bought thing, because of the love that went into conceiving of it, creating it, and giving it.

 

[fddog]

The other day jr and i came home, on the way home he said, Dad you bought me the big remote control truck for christmas last year. I said, What makes you think that? He said santa wraps all his presents real nice, I said ok. Well dad the truck only had ribbon on it.

 

[aps45819]

Was at my sister's on year for Christmas. One of their neighbors had recently backed into a small pine tree and it was leaning over. Since it was dark when my daughter and I arrived she didn't notice the tree. After she went to bed, my sister whipped out a big sleigh bell and suggests we throw it in the snow over by the tree and tell my daughter that Santa's sleigh bumped the tree.
Next morning we ask her if she heard the noise last night and got her to go out and check out the tree. You wouldn't believe how big her eyes got when she found that bell.
She still has it.

 

[nomoney]

When my oldest was 3 he overslept for christmas morning. Of course my hubby and I were laying awake in bed since the buttcrack of dawn waiting for him to come wake us up to tell us that santa had come. Finally around 8am sleigh bells began to ring My oldest shot out of bed so quick we bearly had time to hide the bells. He's almost 7 now-and he still talks about it whenever christmas talk is going on. How he heard santa and almost caught him. He didn't care a lick about the presents ; all he cared about was that santa moment-and he wanted us included in that; pulling us out of bed-outside in the cold to look for santa with him.

Why someone would want to take that opportunity to let your children get a glimpse of that magic is beyond me. Not only are you allowing you children to miss out on that wonderment but you're allowing youself to miss out on something pretty neat.

 

[pineapple]

2A brought this up the other day and I've been thinking a lot on it. My brother doesn't believe in telling his kids about Santa, the Easter Bunny and the like because he doesn't "believe" in lying to his kids. I think that's a totally bogus reason. I'll lie like hell to my kids if I think it does them some good. When one of my kids is 12 and asks me if I ever did drugs in my life I'm sure as hell going to tell them no and do it with a straight face. Reason being that I used my father's honesty to exploit my parents. "Well dad did it when he was young and he turned out just fine." Lying to your kids is sometimes a must.

That's not the justification behind this thread though. 2A cited religious reasons and taking away from the real meaning of the holidays. Well the Tooth Fairy is automatically disqualified because there is no tooth holiday.

I guess I just don't understand the problem with telling your kids there's a Santa and Easter Bunny as long as you also teach them the real meanings behind the holidays. I think it's borderline cruel not only to your child but to other children to exclude them that's so socially acceptable. God help the parents of the 5 year old that tells my 5 year old that their mommy and daddy said there was no Santa. Kids talk and tell each other things. How did you find out there was no Santa? I was 6 and my 10 year old brother told me. God was never taken out of the holidays for us. We went to church year round not just on special occasions. My mom always had a manger scene up. I knew what Christmas was about. My 3 year old will tell you that it's Jesus's birthday even though he's really not old enough to grasp it.

I agree that kids should be told about Santa, Easter Bunny,etc.. I don't think its lying,thats what gives holidays thier "magic". Christmas was never the same after finding out there was no Santa. I remember someone at school told me there was no Santa, I went home and asked my Mom about it....she cried and told me the sad truth and that I'd better not tell my little sis and bro. Even now, Christmas wouldn't be as much fun if it wasn't for the look on my niece and nephews faces on Christmas morning. Christmas is more for kids anyway.

 

[PJay]

Why though? Do you not buy your kids Christmas presents at all?

I have no children.

I was speaking from a childhood memory. After having read this:

Talk to an adult who was not allowed to enjoy the fun of Santa and Easter Bunny as a child, and you will have no problem deciding what to do.

It wasn't because of religious reasons.

 

[PJay]

A crayon picture or a hand-made wooden thingamajig is as grand and wonderful as (and MORE than!) any store-bought thing, because of the love that went into conceiving of it, creating it, and giving it.

Nice.

 

[nomoney]

besides, if you don't make the littler buggers believe in that crap; you lose your leverage. I mean you won't be able to say "if you break that santa clause will die" or "if you do that again the easter bunny will lose an ear". Think about it.

 

[Tonio]

besides, if you don't make the littler buggers believe in that crap; you lose your leverage. I mean you won't be able to say "if you break that santa clause will die" or "if you do that again the easter bunny will lose an ear". Think about it.

Or "The Tooth Fairy will get AIDS."

 

[2ndAmendment]

Isn't is amazing that this is the Religion forum and most of the posts in this thread have absolutely nothing to do with that topic? And that is my point, Santa and the Easter Bunny detract from the real meaning of the holidays. The very word holiday has its derivation in Holy Day.

I was raised to believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny, and I raised my daughter with Santa and the Easter Bunny. I am just pointing out that one reason for confusion about whether God is real or not is that we perpetuate fantasies about Santa and the Easter Bunny for a time and then our kids find out or we tell them that they are not real with one explanation or another. And, if we have taught them about God, expect them to keep believing in God and not doubt.

I know that that dichotomy raised doubt in my mind about whether God is real. I just praise God that He gave me a path to walk that brought me back to Him. Many reach that decision point and don't come back. If the question of truth of God, Santa, and the Easter Bunny were never intermingled, then there would be no reason to question the Truth.

What if there had never been a fantasy of Santa or the Easter Bunny? Would you have missed them? No. You can't miss what never was. Presents could still be given at Christmas as a remembrance of the wise men and shepherds that brought presents to Jesus. Isn't that how the custom started? I believe so.

I don't think anyone is going to be judged on whether they told their kids about Santa and the Easter Bunny. I do think that Santa and the Easter Bunny are causes for confusion when it comes to belief in God.

There is no reason for argument. Do as you see fit. You are the parents.

 

[BadGirl]

Isn't is amazing that this is the Religion forum and most of the posts in this thread have absolutely nothing to do with that topic?

........

There is no reason for argument. Do as you see fit. You are the parents.

Good post.