Santa Claus Myth: Something Parents Should Hand Down To Their Children

The Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Boogeyman, and Santa Claus, what do all of these have in common? For me, it is the innocence of a child. Children seem to be more gullible and believe anything you tell them; they do not know the difference between a lie and the truth. During the Christmas of 2003, I was five years old and still believed in Santa Claus. The fact of believing in Santa Claus expresses the innocence of a child and brings the magic to Christmas.

"Father Christmas goes back in any event to the extent the seventeenth century in Britain, and pictures of him make due from that time, depicting him as an all-around fed whiskery man wearing a long, green, hide lined robe. He embodied the soul of optimism at Christmas" (Wikipedia-Santa). Additionally Christmas is the occasion to unite families for "Christmas traditions include: present giving and fun from Roman Saturnalia; greenery, lights, and philanthropy from the Roman New Year; and Yule logs and different sustenance from Germanic dining experiences." Christmas really is the occasion of giving and family

However in the over-exaggerated movie it included the reason behind the Grinch's hatred of Christmas; saying it was because the kids used to tease him when he was little, until the day he

This leads into the most important difference between the book and the movie. In the movie it depicts that going to the North Pole to see Santa was all a dream, while in the book it made it all seem real. When children go see this movie, they might think that since the boy is having a dream that Santa must not be real. A lot of research has been done about kids believing in Santa. Gail Vines wrote about “the Santa delusion” from psychologist’s perspectives. According to Gail Vines (2007), children are able to

So you don’t believe in Santa Claus. It’s understandable. We find ourselves in an age of pure skepticism. We question everything. Science has taken hold of our lives, providing answers for all questions and dismissing anything that cannot be explained as either myth or fiction. So it’s quite understandable why you don’t believe, with no physical proof of his existence. It’s indeed understandable to lose sight of Father Christmas with the transformation of this holiday into one that, as of late, is used commercially as a lucrative crutch solely to make profit. It’s understandable to abandon Santa Claus after hearing countless people deny his very physical or even spiritual existence. After all, one tends to

First, the story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss is one of the classic children's stories of all time. It is about a grouchy hermit, the Grinch, who hated Christmas, and all the Christmas celebrations, who tried to stop Christmas from coming. He tried to do this by stealing all of Christmas cheer, by taking all the food, and all

Once the leaves begin to alter their color for the winter, most houses and businesses also change their appearance for the winter. Many families drag out their boxes of red and green to decorate their house for the holidays. Parents may brave a line stretching down the mall so their child can tell Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, what he or she wishes to unwrap on Christmas morning. Some parents question the effect of a child’s health or morals associated with the belief in Santa Claus, but, with research and psychologists weighing in on the subject, there is no tramatic evidence apparent in letting a child have faith in Santa Claus. Evidence gathered may suggest a benefit for children. Children should have the oportunity to believe in Santa Claus because it stems creativity and can improve mental health, shows youth an example of giving without expecting anything in return, and when the time comes, forces kids to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

To begin, the history of Christmas is peculiar and filled with factors that make it well-known all throughout the world. It’s history goes all the way back to 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Jesus was born in Bethlehem from a virgin whose name was Mary. In a stable, where shepherds visited, along with everyone who heard, a miracle happened and the holiday came to be. As time continued, Christians have been swept away from the celebration’s natural meaning, background, and origins.

Two subjects that most people will never expect to find in the same sentence are Santa Claus and nuclear fallout. While it is true that finding a similarity between both of these subjects would seem like the pursuit of a deranged conspiracy theorist, one thing they can share is the method in which their debunking is presented on YouTube. The videos in question are Five Stupid things About Santa Claus, by Steve Shives, and Millions Die from Fukhishima Fallout!, by Thunderf00t. In both cases the narrator takes his outlandish category and uses confidence and other subtle psychological devices to subconsciously convince his audience of the validity of his point of view. In doing this, both show a mastery of communication by using the same method

It is easier to understand “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” by using the Psychoanalytic school of critic to analyze it. Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory actually helps with understanding why the Grinch hates christmas and why he behaves the way he does. Freud believed that our unconscious mind was influenced by childhood events. Freud believes that our personality is made of three things; the id, ego, and superego. The id is the unconscious part that has our needs, and instincts. The ego is the part that stays in touch with reality and tries to suppress the id and superego so they are socially acceptable. Finally the superego is the personality that completely cuts out the socially unacceptable instincts of the id. As you begin to read

But I think that parents concerned with harming their relationship with their kid may discover the revelation of the ruse opens their children’s eyes and helps them see their parents in not a bad but different light. The discovery of the Santa Myth leads to important steps towards maturity like realizing your parents are people, just like you, and aren’t infallible. Having your parents share the truth about Santa and also share their personal discoveries of the myth can actually bring parents and children closer through the realization that they’ve both gone through the same experience. It also brings a new appreciation for parents’ efforts.

As a writer once said, " The best lies are based on the truth, at least in part." ( Quote) Santa is one of these beautiful lies, but not all of him. Santa was real at one point, but is now dead, meaning he is real in history. Santa's origin story was exaggerated. For stories to spread widely, there needs to be embellishments, like Braveheart.

I know I shouldn’t feel worried. I know this is a rite of passage most western kids experience. I know because I did and I still love the Christmas season, and I had no hesitation perpetuating the myth when it was my turn to do so.

If a six-year-old was to ask me if Santa was real you may wonder what I’m going to say. I remember growing up at that age, it’s the best time of your childhood. Id asking everyone I knew if they believed in Santa and I remember them saying “Yes, I believe in Santa and he is watching us right now”.

A child learning about the myth of Santa Claus helps the process of development, and stimulates their cognitive development. Children will become interested in other ideas once they come to the realization of it being no Santa Claus. On the Today Show, Karri-Leigh Mastrangelo, a television producer and mother of two children, signified her belief that “there is a huge difference between telling your child a lie and allowing them to believe in the magic and mystery of the holidays.” It is One-Hundred Percent healthy for your child to believe in Santa Claus according to multiple psychologists and researchers. You cannot compare lying to your child about situations they could not understand versus allowing them to believe in Santa Claus. Dr. Janet Serwint a professor at the John Hopkins School of Medicine also stated, “Teaching your kids the myth of Santa Clause will not scar them for life.” While supporting my argument, this simple statement brings about questions amongst parents. If it does no psychological harm, then there should not be any concern of fraudulence towards the