How does this Santa Claus business work?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Help this guy understand why people tell their kids about Santa and how their kids believe them?

[ul]
[li]Why let a imaginary guy claim credit for your presents?[/li][li]Who do kids believe the mall santas to be? The real North Pole Santa? Can’t they see he’s fake?[/li][li]What exactly do the mall santas do? Just sit there and let kids tell them what they want for Christmas? They don’t give the kids anything, do they?[/li][li]How do parents know what their kids want, if they’re telling the mall santa/writing cards?[/li][li]The biggest problem I have believing is - how can kids think their presents are made by elves at the North Pole? They aren’t asking for wooden trains anymore. iPads, Xboxes and other presents can’t be made without specialized equipment. I’ve seen “iPads” made by companies other than Apple, and I wouldn’t want one.[/li][/ul]
Or do 8 year olds believe everything?

If there are already threads on this subject, feel free to point them out.

2

It’s about magic - liittle kids seem to like the notion that the world is a bit more special and sparkly than grown-ups know it really is.

3

[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:645370”]

[li]Why let a imaginary guy claim credit for your presents?[/li][/QUOTE]

Because being a parent isn’t about the selfish need to take the credit for buying presents.
Because kids are told Santa won’t come if they have been naughty.
Because watching the wonder and excitement in children at the thought of Santa coming is unforgettable.

[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:645370”]

[li]Who do kids believe the mall santas to be? The real North Pole Santa? Can’t they see he’s fake?[/li][/QUOTE]

I always thought it was the real Santa. Kids are great at suspending their cynicism.

[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:645370”]

[li]What exactly do the mall santas do? Just sit there and let kids tell them what they want for Christmas? They don’t give the kids anything, do they?[/li][/QUOTE]

Yes, they give the kids a random present from a sac.

[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:645370”]

[li]How do parents know what their kids want, if they’re telling the mall santa/writing cards?[/li][/QUOTE]

Because kids can’t keep this stuff to themselves. Ask, and they will tell. Plus they need Mum or Dad to post the letter.

[quote=“AaronX, post:1, topic:645370”]

[li]The biggest problem I have believing is - how can kids think their presents are made by elves at the North Pole? They aren’t asking for wooden trains anymore. iPads, Xboxes and other presents can’t be made without specialized equipment. I’ve seen “iPads” made by companies other than Apple, and I wouldn’t want one.[/li][/QUOTE]

I didn’t think elves made the presents, I thought Santa bought them. Reinforced by questioning my parents on why they didn’t buy me any presents, they said it was because they had to pay Santa (or Father Christmas, as it was for me).

4

You don’t want your kids thinking you can give them that kind of stuff all the time. The rest of the year you tell them they’ll have to wait until Christmas and ask Santa.

It’s well established that those are Santa’s helpers. Clearly not the real Santa, but they know him personally and will convey reasonable gift requests.

They give each kid a candy cane. They also tell Santa about everything the kids ask for. After work they get to do Lauren Graham.

Little kids can’t write, and when they can they still don’t have stamps. Parents have plenty of time to check out the wish list.

Clearly you don’t understand free trade. Santa no longer has an exclusive on Christmas presents. Elf made goods are traded regularly from the North Pole in exchange for high tech goods from China. Where do you think wooden trains and the like come from? These are only made at the North Pole. Because the elves have never collectivized the labor costs are non-existent. Santa sells these world-wide and can then import goods from other markets for delivery on Christmas.

5

I gather your parents didn’t play along with the Santa story?

Yes, most young kids do believe the stories, no matter how convoluted you make them.

My house didn’t have a chimney, we didn’t have anybody dress up as Santa, but when we returned from midnight mass, we did find several presents under the tree that hadn’t been there an hour earlier, wrapped in distinctive paper. We didn’t notice that my dad had been the last one in the house when we were leaving for mass.

When I was about 7 years old, “Santa” brought me a Lego motor, which was a big thing at the time. But the elves had forgotten to remove a pretty prominent sticker from the box, which said that it came from the town’s main toy store. When prodded, my parents explained that Santa didn’t make everything himself, that he had a few special suppliers, etc. I started to have doubts.

Eventually, as kids interact with other kids at school (or, in my case, with older, cynical cousins), they begin to understand how it works. (This plants the seeds of a firm belief in complicated conspiracy theories which will make them dysfunctional as adults.)

But many children make the calculation that their parents seem to find this very cute and that they end up with more presents as a result; so they play along for a couple more Christmases. In effect, it’s now the kids who are fooling the parents.

6

Consider that most people apparently think that every part of life as we know it was created and is carefully overseen by an imaginary entity.

7

Kids are really dumb.

8

Well done, I couldn’t think of how to word that nicely.

9
  • hurk *
    Please tell me you meant “sack”
10

Oh no. No he didn’t. These are mall Santas you know.

11

Having grown up in a society where Santa makes home calls in the afternoon of Christmas eve I cannot recall a time when I didn’t know that it was an impersonator. The big thing was trying to find out which neighbour it was that brought the presents.

12

It’s fun and kids like it. At least the kids I’ve known are willing to gloss over the “How are elves making my Xbox?” and “Why does each mall have a Santa?” aspects and play along far longer than you’d think they should. I’m sure someone has a story about how they learned Santa wasn’t real and lost all faith in humanity but, by in large, it seems to be something enjoyed by all involved.

13

Well we were all suppose to live in a wonderful fantasy world as God’s children, and though Santa is real, the adults in this world were taught to disbelieve and feel like they needed to keep what they mistakenly believe to not real, real to the children. So instead of Santa using God’s resources to provide presents for the child, adults go into debt, work long hours and deal with horrible traffic and long lines to keep up in themselves what God was willing to do for us.

But God is still very merciful, and there is much good will that God has incorporated in adult attempt to simulate the real Santa, and very thankfully God gave us online shopping so we don’t have to deal with the lines if we don’t want to.

Merry Xmas

14

If Santa can get every Christian house in a time zone at the same time, every mall shouldn’t be too hard.

I’m Jewish, and I was into my 20s before I realized there are kids who sincerely believe Santa literally exists.

15

Most of my esteemed cooleagues have covered all the bases but for this one:

Yes, it is true that kids will blurt it out, ask parents to write it for them, need parents to put the wish list in an envelope and mail it—all ways the parents can find out. But there is also the fact that a wish list is just that—a wish list. My kids each got a few things from their lists, and several other things that were not on their lists that I and their dad knew/hoped they would like.

It’s OK to get them things they didn’t specifically ask for, and it’s necessary to refuse a lot of the things they did ask for (no, children, you are not getting an iPad mini each).

16

The way it worked in my family was this. Most of the gifts came from Santa, but not all of them. Perhaps half or so of the gifts my parents bought were “from Santa” the other half were from them. All of my other relative’s gifts were still from them so I could still specifically thank them. This worked out so that I could help keep an ear and eye out for gift ideas for other family members and help wrap certain presents. It also meant that I didn’t figure it out the first time I stumbled upon a gift stash.

Parents and relatives collaborated with Santa. This explained why sometimes Santa would buy accessories to a larger gift from my parents or vice versa. It also explained why I gave my parents the list, they read it and relayed the message to Santa.

Store “Santas” were helpers, so they also relayed any messages. We never really did the mall Santa thing though. The toy thing wasn’t properly explained, but at the time I assumed they either bought the items or ran the various toy companies from the North Pole allowing them to still make them. Also we never had a fireplace, so Santa just magiced the front door open.

I figured it out when I was 7 or 8, but it was still fun while it lasted. Really made Christmas time magical for me.

17

I’m Jewish, and never believed in Santa, but I certainly believed in magic. I would wish on a star for things, and I always felt that if I could just find the right equipment or the right words, magic would happen.

I can’t speak for all little kids, but I know that if the Santa idea had been presented to me, I would have believed in it because I wanted to believe in things like Santa.

18

Yes, and it’s hereditary. Kids who believe in Santa are no different than adults who believe in God. Especially the ones who “thank the Lord” that they survived a tornado, though their house was destroyed.

19

Yeah, it’s nice to let kids live in a nice shiny world before they become adults and have other adults telling them how retarded they are for being thankful they didn’t die in a tornado.

20

I don’t think I ever thought the mall Santas were real. Or at least there was a period of time when I believed in Santa but knew that the mall Santas were just people acting.