Should we tell our kids Santa is real?

[Highever]

It is an innocent myth created for children. Are you going to call Cinderella and other such tales heartless and evil too?

Not unless a single person openly worships them with the degree they do with Santa.

Except no one worships Santa. There are no Holy Alters to the One True Santa that people use to openly worship the Right Jolly Old Elf.

[The Alma Mater]

An old winter god delivering presents and punishment ?
Surely sounds like a good focus for winter festivities to me. But indeed; perhaps not refer to such a feast as "Christ-Mass".

If you want to celebrate the pagan holiday often associated with Christmas, you just missed it. The solstice was the 21st.

Those holidays traditionally last 2 weeks

[The Rebel Alliances]

Pretty much millions of people.
No idea what the objection is.

Man people are lost I know this and you don't take it seriously. The objection is lies,polytheism in false idols,and cooperate benefit off the innocents and gulibility of the children.Christmas is a multi-million dollar industry,

Lies, again, Santa would hardly qualify. Fable used to entertain children during the winter months is more accurate.
False idols? No, I hear all the time how parents often actually remind their children that the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Birth of Jesus. (I am in Louisiana and From the South)
And so helping the economy by increasing purchases and sales and feeding jobs based off of making children happy is a bad thing now? My sales skyrocket in the holidays. And no one is harmed. At all.

[-United Islamic Emirate-]

Man people are lost I know this and you don't take it seriously. The objection is lies,polytheism in false idols,and cooperate benefit off the innocents and gulibility of the children.Christmas is a multi-million dollar industry,

You realize people do not worship Santa in churches and alters and make sacrifices to him, right? He is a simple fairy tale. And I am so glad that you are all knowing and here to bring enlightenment to us all.

Its a form of worship by idolizing him there is actually a cult for him. But other from that I know they dont go that far but they still worship him in a way.

[The Alma Mater]

Not unless a single person openly worships them with the degree they do with Santa.

Except no one worships Santa. There are no Holy Alters to the One True Santa that people use to openly worship the Right Jolly Old Elf.

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

[Salus Maior]

If you want to celebrate the pagan holiday often associated with Christmas, you just missed it. The solstice was the 21st.

Those holidays traditionally last 2 weeks

Last I checked, Christmas was a one-day holiday.

[Highever]

You realize people do not worship Santa in churches and alters and make sacrifices to him, right? He is a simple fairy tale. And I am so glad that you are all knowing and here to bring enlightenment to us all.

Its a form of worship by idolizing him there is actually a cult for him. But other from that I know they don't go that far but they still worship him in a way.

Again...no one idolizes him. He is a fable. A fairy tale. There is no Cult of Santa.

However, there IS the Cult of Santa Christ.

[Salus Maior]

Except no one worships Santa. There are no Holy Alters to the One True Santa that people use to openly worship the Right Jolly Old Elf.

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

MILK FOR THE PRESENTS GOD, COOKIES FOR THE COOKIE THRONE.

(LET THE UNIVERSE DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNN IN IT)

[The Alma Mater]

Those holidays traditionally last 2 weeks

Last I checked, Christmas was a one-day holiday.

Christmas is one evening+ 2 days.
Yuletide is several weeks.

[The Sotoan Union]

I find it ironic how folks always say the holiday season is a time for cheer and brings out the best in people. When in fact it brings out the worse go to toysRus wal-mart or any other major toy selling retailer the lines are packed and fighting all to get specific toys and stuff like that also road rage is higher than average around this time. And greed as well. We all seen the black Friday riots. Also standing in lines for photographs with Santa Claus getting irritated. Influx of people at malls it gets to extremes for the worse in people in fact.

Isn't buying things for other people the opposite of greed?

[Highever]

Except no one worships Santa. There are no Holy Alters to the One True Santa that people use to openly worship the Right Jolly Old Elf.

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

Christmas trees are not shrines to the deity of Santa Claus. And, yeah, sure it is a part of the fairy tale. This now means people actively worship the guy?

[Finland SSR]

Don't bother. They will find out, sooner or later, and then the truth will be less shocking.

Also, since when do fathers dress themselves in a Santa Claus costume to give presents? We just found them under a tree...

[Salus Maior]

Last I checked, Christmas was a one-day holiday.

Christmas is one evening+ 2 days.
Yuletide is several weeks.

Goodness, the parallels just keep happening.

[The Confederacy of Nationalism]

Pretty much millions of people.
No idea what the objection is.

Man people are lost I know this and you don't take it seriously. The objection is lies,polytheism in false idols,and cooperate benefit off the innocents and gulibility of the children.Christmas is a multi-million dollar industry,

billion, the number you are looking for is billion

[-United Islamic Emirate-]

Man people are lost I know this and you don't take it seriously. The objection is lies,polytheism in false idols,and cooperate benefit off the innocents and gulibility of the children.Christmas is a multi-million dollar industry,

billion, the number you are looking for is billion

I wouldnt doubt that either.

[Tuskamo]

This Santa-is-real stuff is a lie, but it's all harmless, a perfect example of a white lie, yes? It's a holiday tradition, that is done in many families, and a holiday is a holiday, nothing else. We should also look at why parents tell their children that Santa Clause is real. But, it may not be very much like a white lie if it stays clear in the mind for too long. In my opinion, to have them believe, and someone asking if Santa is real is like them asking if God is real, only this time, the answer to the Santa one is usually much more clearer. And so, my advice is: We can tell our children tell our children that Santa is real, if it's likely that they'll be at least kinda cool at the reveal; we can also just acknowledge the truth, though.

Isn't buying things for other people the opposite of greed?

I would say yes, but it's sort of both when people try to be the opposite of greedy by unknowingly being greedy by doing United Islamic Emirate's examples, while not being greedy by giving the gifts. So, yeah.

[The Rebel Alliances]

Man people are lost I know this and you don't take it seriously. The objection is lies,polytheism in false idols,and cooperate benefit off the innocents and gulibility of the children.Christmas is a multi-million dollar industry,

billion, the number you are looking for is billion

I try not to overstate things, cause there is always someone around who breaks in who knows all of the numbers, facts and starts presenting spread sheets of statistics and thereby concluding that I am not qualified to take part in the debate.

Guess it happens for understatements too.

[The Sotoan Union]

No, because it's a lie, and lying is bad. If they find out we were lying to them, then they will think lying is ok when it's really not.

Well how far can we take this type of thinking? If a kid says they want to be a princess or a knight or a wizard, do we tell them their ideas are impossible and it would be a lie to believe you could do that? Even for possible jobs like race car driver or astronaut or president, the statistical odds of them achieving those dreams are negligible. Therefore we could argue that allowing kids to believe in those jobs is lying to them. If a pet dies and they ask what happened, trying to console them with stories of a farm or the pet running away is a lie. Only graphically explaining to your kids mortality and inevitable death is truthful.

Seriously, there are a lot of scrooges here.

[The Sotoan Union]

Except no one worships Santa. There are no Holy Alters to the One True Santa that people use to openly worship the Right Jolly Old Elf.

Christmas trees as shrines ? And one makes offerings of milk and cookies.

Santa doesn't interact with the christmas tree.

[The Confederacy of Nationalism]

billion, the number you are looking for is billion

I try not to overstate things, cause there is always someone around who breaks in who knows all of the numbers, facts and starts presenting spread sheets of statistics and thereby concluding that I am not qualified to take part in the debate.

Guess it happens for understatements too.

the difference between a million and a billion is a thousandfold, not a small understatement.

[The Rebel Alliances]

I try not to overstate things, cause there is always someone around who breaks in who knows all of the numbers, facts and starts presenting spread sheets of statistics and thereby concluding that I am not qualified to take part in the debate.

Guess it happens for understatements too.

the difference between a million and a billion is a thousandfold, not a small understatement.

There was a 's' at the end of my 'million'. Meaning plural. That could have been 999 million. Right behind a billion. But, I suppose I was leaving a lot of room for the understatement, again, being too careful about those spreadsheet clad warriors.

[Immoren]

Last I checked, Christmas was a one-day holiday.

Christmas is one evening+ 2 days.
Yuletide is several weeks.

It lasts till 13th of January.

[The Conez Imperium]

No, because it's a lie, and lying is bad. If they find out we were lying to them, then they will think lying is ok when it's really not.

Well how far can we take this type of thinking? If a kid says they want to be a princess or a knight or a wizard, do we tell them their ideas are impossible and it would be a lie to believe you could do that?

No, as a parent I believe it is important to foster children's imaginations and critical thinking. Instead of outright saying "No its impossible" I would help them realise the 'impracticality' of it through a long time period. At first I would ask them what else they would be expanding their imagination and aspirations. Then ask them being X(knight, princess) what will you do as one. Later in life if they persist I would ask them how they would be X and offer other aspirations to fuel their imagination. Finally the all critical 'why' do you want to be X will be asked. Throughout the process its important to not make the child feel guilt over their aspiration/imagination.

[The Sotoan Union]

Well how far can we take this type of thinking? If a kid says they want to be a princess or a knight or a wizard, do we tell them their ideas are impossible and it would be a lie to believe you could do that?

No, as a parent I believe it is important to foster children's imaginations and critical thinking. Instead of outright saying "No its impossible" I would help them realise the 'impracticality' of it through a long time period. At first I would ask them what else they would be expanding their imagination and aspirations. Then ask them being X(knight, princess) what will you do as one. Later in life if they persist I would ask them how they would be X and offer other aspirations to fuel their imagination. Finally the all critical 'why' do you want to be X will be asked. Throughout the process its important to not make the child feel guilt over their aspiration/imagination.

That was more of a joke about how some people in this thread don't seem to understand a child's imagination than a statement that we should give kids the finger.

[Torisakia]

You mean to tell me he's not? ;_;

Nah, just tell them he is. Why ruin what's left of their happiness?