The Santa thread, part one : parental answers

[Kahuna Burger]

Just because Santa doesn't objectively exist, doesn't mean he isn't real.

Er, I'm pretty sure that is what it means.

re·al1 /ˈriəl, ril/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ree-uhl, reel]
–adjective
1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.
2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.
3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.
4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.
5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.
6. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.

Now, I get the whole Yes Virginia There Is A Santa Claus spirit of giving, love in the world Santa meme. And cribbing heavily from "Yes Virginia..." to answer the question with a kid is a time honored parental tradition. But I confess in an exception to my sig, I don't fully understand the desire to engage in that sort of wordplay in adult conversation.

 

[Umbran]

Er, I'm pretty sure that is what it means.

Well, note that the definition you posted has many parts - only one of which clearly eliminates Santa from "reality". Mayhaps some of the other definitions are more important in Santa's case?

... I don't fully understand the desire to engage in that sort of wordplay in adult conversation.

Well, you mentioned that the conversation we were having was with a kid - that part's not adult conversation.

And, for the part of this that is between us adults - it isn't so much wordplay, as noting that the symbolism and metaphor and tradition are all terribly important to the human animal. Our psychology is real, even if it isn't objective or physical, no?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Well, note that the definition you posted has many parts - only one of which clearly eliminates Santa from "reality". Mayhaps some of the other definitions are more important in Santa's case?

well, I suppose I could check them in order, but that would only be helpful if we actually agreed on a meaning of "Santa Claus", which I'm guessing is the real (if you will excuse the word) issue, esp with :

And, for the part of this that is between us adults - it isn't so much wordplay, as noting that the symbolism and metaphor and tradition are all terribly important to the human animal. Our psychology is real, even if it isn't objective or physical, no?

While I'm fine with saying Santa symbolizes some nice intangibles, actually saying that "Santa" is those intangibles and thus real is a new spin for me.

 

[Ilium]

While I'm fine with saying Santa symbolizes some nice intangibles, actually saying that "Santa" is those intangibles and thus real is a new spin for me.

It's all about the mindset.

 

[Relique du Madde]

It's all about the mindset.

Personally, I don't believe in Santa Claus but I believe that it is plausible for a Santa Claus like entity to exist maybe as a thought form. This is because, when I was 8 I might have unknowingly caused a copy of the Best of the Monkee's cassette tape to materialize in a pair of nikes that I left outside my parent's house for a half an hour dye ti my belief that the Three Kings existed and would give people presents *IF* they thought the person deserved one.

I know that its extremely plausible and likely that someone in my house could have planted the tape, but then I wouldn't think my mom would still (20 years later) play up the strangeness of that story if there was a mundane explanation.

 

[Ranger REG]

Wait, you are saying Santa isn't real? Then who keeps leaving those presents under the tree for my kids?

Time to change the locks...

Psst! Don't tell Thornir about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. He'll go postal.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

"...there's only one fat guy who brings us presents, and his name ain't Santa." - Bart Simpson.

My kids have never been under the delusion that Santa Claus is a real person, though it can still be fun to pretend that he is around Christmas time.

Pretty much sums up how it was in my family growing up.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Pretty much sums up how it was in my family growing up.

Yeah, in my family there was a tradition that stockings were "from Santa" in that they were anonymous. Everyone would sneak little things into the stockings when no one else was looking and not take credit for anything in particular in there.

In the hubby's family, stockings were and still are stuffed to the gills by his mom (we do xmas with his family), which is nice and all, but this year I'm making personalized stockings for just us three and introducing Henry to the traditions of giving I grew up with too. (He's also big enough to pick out presents for people at the dollar store, something I'm super looking forward to.)

 

[Ranger REG]

my belief that the Three Kings existed and would give people presents *IF* they thought the person deserved one.

You mean they didn't give you one small piece of gold, not even myrrh? Just a lousy Best of the Monkees tape?

 

[Deset Gled]

A semi-related story:

When I was about 12 or so, I was watching TV with my little sister when Gremlins came on HBO. I had heard of it but had never seen it. My parents weren't home at the time, but it was only rated PG so I figured it couldn't be that bad. Everything was pretty good until the scene where Pheobe Cates describes the way that her father dies by climbing down the chimney and breaking his neck, and saying "And that's how I found out that there is no Santa".

Now, my little sister was in third or fourth grade, at the point where she probably had doubts about Santa's existence. She probably knew in the back of her mind that he wasn't 100% real, but was still at that age where you believe because you want to believe, which I tried to encourage. But when Pheobe Cates said that, it was (AFAIK) the first time she had ever heard someone outright say that Santa wasn't real.

My sister didn't react badly. She got a weird expression on her face for a second and then things went on with neither of us saying anything. We both enjoyed the movie. But personally, I look back at that moment and cringe a little. I'll have to ask her if she remembers that moment as vividly as I do.

It wasn't until much later in life that I learned that the PG-13 rating didn't exist when Gremlins was made, and that it and IJ: Temple of Doom are often attributed as being reasons for the rating's creation.