# When did you stop believing in Santa Claus? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434 "2012-05-09T22:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/1 "2012-05-09T22:24:07Z")
I know this is the wrong season to be discussing the subject,but in today’s society,I think it’s an interesting topic that deserves some discussion.My question is,at what age did you find out that the big guy isn’t real after all?(Or do you still believe in him now?:D)If anybody’s interested,I’d be glad to share my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/2 "2012-05-09T22:26:58Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > If anybody’s interested, I’d be glad to share my experience. You first. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/3 "2012-05-09T22:41:42Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > You first. Alright then.It happened when I was 10 years old(I know,pretty old,but I’d had my doubts for quite some time before then).Anyway,I had to sleep in my parents’ bed one Christmas Eve(after all,if I slept in my bed I could have gone into the livingroom and spoiled the secret),and I woke up early the next morning _by myself_ ,and I heard somebody using tape.Stupid as I was(and am:D),I still was smart enough to realize the implications of that event-put simply,no Santa.I wasn’t very disappointed,since as I said I’d been suspicious anyway(the presents helped a little with that too).I imagine that my discovery was a lot less dramatic than it is for other kids.What about yours? ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/4 "2012-05-09T22:46:17Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > I know this is the wrong season to be discussing the subject,but in today’s society,I think it’s an interesting topic that deserves some discussion.My question is,at what age did you find out that the big guy isn’t real after all?(Or do you still believe in him now?:D)If anybody’s interested,I’d be glad to share my experience. When my wife said she had a headache on Christmas night. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/5 "2012-05-09T22:50:06Z")
I never believed, but I understood that I was supposed to play along. I let my mother know this when I was three, she says. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/6 "2012-05-09T22:51:33Z")
My mom is pretty smart, she had me help deliver toys to needy kids and when I asked the obvious question, “Why isn’t Santa taking toys to these kids?” she just kinda looked at me, with the you must be joking look she gives so well. Two important lessons there 1 No Santa 2 You have a responsibility to your fellow humans. Thank you mom I love you. This is the same woman who when I started to get curious about it, put Human Sexuality(the book) at my eye level on the shelf. Like I said smart woman ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/7 "2012-05-09T23:13:49Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > My mom is pretty smart, she had me help deliver toys to needy kids and when I asked the obvious question, “Why isn’t Santa taking toys to these kids?” she just kinda looked at me, with the you must be joking look she gives so well. Two important lessons there 1 No Santa 2 You have a responsibility to your fellow humans. Thank you mom I love you. This is the same woman who when I started to get curious about it, put Human Sexuality(the book) at my eye level on the shelf. Like I said smart woman How old were you when all this happened?She didn’t give you that book when you were 4 did she?(I’m just joking.) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/8 "2012-05-09T23:15:52Z")
WHAT?!!! ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/9 "2012-05-09T23:16:05Z")
Good joke Dngnb8.I guess Mrs.Claus doesn’t have to say she has a headache,right? ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/10 "2012-05-09T23:25:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > WHAT?!!! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/11 "2012-05-09T23:34:10Z")
Never . Except for a brief period in the 60s when I regarded him as a possible Communist Infiltrator. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/12 "2012-05-09T23:46:03Z")
I was five. I had been given a globe for my fifth birthday (yes, my parental-units were a bit strange… good thing they didn’t infect me) and I figured out how far Santa had to fly to get to all the kids in the US. So, I asked the paternal one about this discrepancy and he sat me down and told me that Santa was the spirit of Christmas and that he was real in the sense that Christmas was about giving gifts and loving people. Dad was a really great guy. I miss him. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/13 "2012-05-09T23:48:41Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > 😕 Really? Did I just whoosh you there? ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/14 "2012-05-10T00:19:20Z")
The day I stopped beating my wife. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/15 "2012-05-10T00:22:22Z")
Stopped? Who stopped? ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/16 "2012-05-10T00:33:19Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I was five. I had been given a globe for my fifth birthday (yes, my parental-units were a bit strange… good thing they didn’t infect me) and I figured out how far Santa had to fly to get to all the kids in the US. So, I asked the paternal one about this discrepancy and he sat me down and told me that Santa was the spirit of Christmas and that he was real in the sense that Christmas was about giving gifts and loving people. Dad was a really great guy. I miss him. He sounds like a great guy.Very good post-really a very good post. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/17 "2012-05-10T00:40:25Z")
Never believed; my parents explained the idea carefully, from the very earliest. (Good parents! My papa was a racist…but agreed not to raise me to be one! I was 18 when he finally let go and said what he really thought about blacks. I was astonished…and then very, very thankful. He could have shoveled all that crap into my young mind…the way his father did to him. But, instead, he broke the cycle.) (Of course, Christmas day, when I was eight…he broke the cycle then, too… Sigh…) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/18 "2012-05-10T00:40:42Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I was five. I had been given a globe for my fifth birthday (yes, my parental-units were a bit strange… good thing they didn’t infect me) and I figured out how far Santa had to fly to get to all the kids in the US. So, I asked the paternal one about this discrepancy and he sat me down and told me that Santa was the spirit of Christmas and that he was real in the sense that Christmas was about giving gifts and loving people. Dad was a really great guy. I miss him. Mine was similar (age 6) except that I noticed that there was no actual land at the North Pole, and that Santa’s castle would soon sink into the ice (or be ground to bits by it). I walked downstairs and proudly announced this to my shocked parents. I wonder what parents will do when the Arctic becomes completely ice free? “Oh yes Johnny, Santa’s castle is _designed_ to float!” ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/19 "2012-05-10T00:41:56Z")
I don’t think I ever really believed but at age 5-6 I saw my parents putting “Santa’s” presents in our stockings and that was the final straw. My younger brother found out at the same time. We faked it for a few more years for our parents’ sake, but once we were 8 or 9, they assumed we knew it was made up and the charade stopped. I will probably not do Santa with my own kids. I don’t really see the point. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434/20 "2012-05-10T01:01:00Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Mine was similar (age 6) except that I noticed that there was no actual land at the North Pole, and that Santa’s castle would soon sink into the ice (or be ground to bits by it). I walked downstairs and proudly announced this to my shocked parents. > > I wonder what parents will do when the Arctic becomes completely ice free? “Oh yes Johnny, Santa’s castle is _designed_ to float!” Great joke John DiFool.:DWhat did your parents tell you when you told them what you figured out?Did they still tell you he was real or was that the end of it all? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-stop-believing-in-santa-claus/621434.md?page=2)