Do you believe in Santa?

[PeterPanfan]

Truth time! One of the most asked questions is 'Do you believe in Santa Claus?"

Well now is the time to asnwer.

As for me..of course I believe in him!

[Flanger-Hanger]

"Just believe in Santa Claus
Like you belive in love
Just belive in Santa Claus
and everything he does

Wipe that question from your mind
Yes he does exist

Just like love, I know he's there..
Waiting to be missed"

I feel that's an appropriate song for this thread.

[Isidour]

of course not

[Escapay]

To quote Francis Pharcellus Church of The New York Sun...

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Scaps

[Anne]

Yes!!!

Well... no... but actually I would love to be a child again and believe in Santa Claus! I sometimes wish I did not grow up... and be like Peter Pan! Christmas was such a wonderful moment when I was a kid (it still is but it's lacking a little bit of magic since I'm an adult!).

[Prudence]

I figured out the 'truth' about Santa at age three. I was a cynical little bugger, saying, "I don't believe in Santa Claus" whenever people asked what I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas.

The younger kids in my family believed in him for quite a long time.

I'm not such a dream killer these days, so no worries. I firmly believe in what Santa Claus represents and I love the Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus article.

[AwallaceUNC]

Absolutely!

-Aaron

[Aladdin from Agrabah]

No but I believe that the most important baby in human history was born that night.

I wish there was a Santa, though. But I also wish there was Aladdin, Agrabah, Antlantica, fairies, witches and all this stuff. Maybe there are somewhere.

[JEANYLASER]

I voted on yes!

[jennydumas]

I'll always believe in Santa!

[Lazario]

Is this a trick question?

[Big Disney Fan]

I'll always believe in Santa!

Same here! What's not to believe? I think, when it comes right down to it, he's kind of an average guy; he spends most of his time toiled away in his place of business. I'm sure a lot of us are like that. And he has lots of little helpers. I'm sure we've all been there at some time or another, haven't we? He always makes stuff that's only good enough to give away. And then he goes all over kingdom come delivering said stuff. I'm sure there are some out there that behave that way, too. And when it comes to choosing to do things the easy way or the hard way, he chooses the hard way every time. Chimney vs. door, need I say more? (Hey, I'm a poet and don't know it!) Plus, he's fat and balding. Lots of people are that way, too. So yeah, Santa must exist, or else, life would be unfair.

[blackcauldron85]

Yes, I do!

[Disney Duster]

I think the idea of Santa Claus is despicable! Let's lie to our kids, so that when they grow up and learn we lied, they'll be crushed! And let's do it to all the kids, so they all believe it, except that one who's parents actually tell them the truth, so they "ruin" Christmas for their friends when they tell them Santa isn't real, and then kids are really confused.

Santa Claus is totally different from God or fairies. Adults actually believe God exists, but they know Santa doesn't and fabricated him just to have their kids believe in something, 'cause they just won't be happy if they don't have a magical overgrown elf in their lives. Heaven forbid they should know their parents give them gifts as a sign that they love them. Adults read fairy tales to kids and usually leave it at that, children choose to believe in fairies on their own. But parents tell children that Santa brings them the presents and their brother came from the stork, their little brother never came from an intimate act of love between their parents, and that's why we don't need sex and sex is bad!

And it's even worse that the presents and eaten cookies are "evidence" that Santa exists. No one drips blood on their Jesus statue and says, "Look honey! God does exist, his son is crying tears of blood!" Santa is completely fabricated, the parents know he isn't real, but they make their children think he's real, unlike God, who adults do believe in. Santa Claus is despicable, and so was that article from "THE SUN". That 8 year old won't even understand that her own innocence and belief is so precious, or any of the other adult concepts in that article, and for all the reasons I already stated, it's bad that the author told her Santa was real. The author should have instead said that if you believe in him, he's real to you, and that's real enough, or something like that, don't tell her he's real for real!

[Big Disney Fan]

I think the idea of Santa Claus is despicable! Let's lie to our kids, so that when they grow up and learn we lied, they'll be crushed! And let's do it to all the kids, so they all believe it, except that one who's parents actually tell them the truth, so they "ruin" Christmas for their friends when they tell them Santa isn't real, and then kids are really confused.

Santa Claus is totally different from God or fairies. Adults actually believe God exists, but they know Santa doesn't and fabricated him just to have their kids believe in something, 'cause they just won't be happy if they don't have a magical overgrown elf in their lives. Heaven forbid they should know their parents give them gifts as a sign that they love them. Adults read fairy tales to kids and usually leave it at that, children choose to believe in fairies on their own. But parents tell children that Santa brings them the presents and their brother came from the stork, their little brother never came from an intimate act of love between their parents, and that's why we don't need sex and sex is bad!

And it's even worse that the presents and eaten cookies are "evidence" that Santa exists. No one drips blood on their Jesus statue and says, "Look honey! God does exist, his son is crying tears of blood!" Santa is completely fabricated, the parents know he isn't real, but they make their children think he's real, unlike God, who adults do believe in. Santa Claus is despicable, and so was that article from "THE SUN". That 8 year old won't even understand that her own innocence and belief is so precious, or any of the other adult concepts in that article, and for all the reasons I already stated, it's bad that the author told her Santa was real. The author should have instead said that if you believe in him, he's real to you, and that's real enough, or something like that, don't tell her he's real for real!

Then why do we always manage to see Santa in every kind of shopping mall across the country, hmm?

[Escapay]

The author should have instead said that if you believe in him, he's real to you, and that's real enough, or something like that, don't tell her he's real for real!

Funnily enough...that's what I got in reading the article, and that's what I always felt the author was trying to convey. I don't think he was saying that Santa's "real for real", but...well, the author said it best...

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

Essentially, the spirit and idea of Santa is real if you believe in him, and that's all that matters.

And in a way, we're all Santa Claus.

Scaps

[candydog]

Ah, the question asked every year somewhere in the World.

The question asked was "Do you believe in Santa Claus?" My answer was yes. I have given my answer but I also choose to make an attempt at justifying it.

The question above is often asked, and as a result, is often interpreted in many ways. I've heard many people say that they believe in the Spirit of Santa Claus and all the good things he symbolises, but it is very rare that an adult, or even older child will say that they believe in a jolly old man with an elfen workforce who delivers presents to children on Christmas eve.

I do.

Why? Simply because I wish to be so bold as to put just the tiniest amount of faith left from my childhood into this one thing so that it may be preserved forever. I may never know for sure if Santa Claus truly exists. Of course, I know that since my early childhood my parents are the ones who put presents under the tree on Christmas morning, but simply because Santa never left me a present I couldn't see doesn't mean he didn't leave me a present.
Maybe he granted a wish I had at the time, something my parents' money couldn't buy. Perhaps there was a physical gift left under the tree that we all assumed was from a relative and never gave a second thought as to it's origins.
However this is a Disney forum and I was quite surprised by Disney Duster's response.

I would like to put this question to Disney Duster: Have you ever been to Disneyland? Have you ever seen a child run into the arms of Mickey Mouse or Goofy? Those children are unaware that underneath is a person in a costume, all they can see is what they believe. If finding out that Santa is not real is confusing for children, then what is your opinion of the parents who take their children to Disneyland? It is basically the same principle.

Disney is a world of magic, entirely manufactured. The castles are not real castles, the characters are not really characters, but to the children, that one special day is more real than anything else in the World.

I guess what I am trying to say is, if there really is a little old man preparing, as I type these words, to deliver presents to children around the World, and we have no evidence to suggest otherwise, than what right do we have to tell children he doesn't exist?
If there is no little old man preparing for Christmas, than does that mean we should take away hope for such a magical existence?

I do not believe we should.

I believe in Santa Claus, whether he is physical, mythical or simply a figure of childhood innocence and hope.

[Disney Duster]

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus.

Looking back, I suppose it's not technically saying he's real, just that he exists somehow, it's just that he only exists in our minds and hearts and dreams, which Virginia may not understand. I really don't think she'll understand even what you quoted, Escapay but I guess it's not really lying to her, so it's all acceptable.

I guess what I am trying to say is, if there really is a little old man preparing, as I type these words, to deliver presents to children around the World, and we have no evidence to suggest otherwise, than what right do we have to tell children he doesn't exist?
If there is no little old man preparing for Christmas, than does that mean we should take away hope for such a magical existence?

That's different from telling you child that the presents they get came from that little old man instead of from you or the rest of their family. If you bought the presents and tell your children someone else did, you know the truth, you know all the evidence, and you are lying to them.

But Candydog, you brought up a really good point. I've only been to Disney World once, when I was 10 or 11, so I knew the characters weren't real but it was still a magical time for me where I at least pretended they were real. I guess really little kids might think that Mickey and Goofy and Snow White are the real versions of the characters they know, but even the smallest of children can tell a cartoon from real life, can't they? Children know they aren't seeing something made of color and lines, but shadows, light, flesh and blood, and that does give them an incling that somehow these characters aren't the same as the ones they watch (if a Mickey Mouse the same size as Snow White isn't enough). Whether the children are thinking these larger-than-movie and realer-than-movie characters were filmed in a way that made them look like a cartoon, I don't know, I think that's close to how I imagined them.

But if my child hugged Mickey and then asked if he was the real Mickey Mouse, right now, without studying child phsycology or having a child of my own yet, I would like to think I would say to them: You have to fogure that out for yourself. It's up to you. If you believe he's really Mickey Mouse, he's really Mickey Mouse. Or maybe I would say, "Well, he's right there in front of you, isn't he?" Or something that hopefully will have me avoid both lying to my child or crushing my child's dreams.

I hope that's good enough for kids. Some children might throw a tantrum because they feel they are being duped and want the truth, and some might need a grown-up, who knows all, to tell them what's real and what's not because they feel they can't decide something like that on their own. They may cry because they really need Mickey to be real, and they really need someone to say it (even adults need someone to say something to make them feel better, even if it's untrue, from time to time).

And for all you Catholics out there, from religion class I learned it's a sin to lie to someone no matter what, but you're allowed to lead them on and make them think something without actually lying (like "lying by omission" or acting like you don't know the truth without saying you don't know the truth if you know it).

I think this has spawned great. Unless this needs a thread of it's own, I'd love anyone to offer more on this.

[Jack Skellington]

Well , I believe in the horizontally-challenged KFC guy who flies around chimneys using his buffalo wings to send presents !

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[Jasmine1022]

Mike (or should I say Grinch!!) this thread is not asking how you FEEL about Santa. It's simply stating whether you yourself believe in him or not.

Besides, how can Santa be fake? How did ALLLLLLLLLL the parents in the world know to tell their kids the same story about the same man?? Please.

Maybe he is fake. Maybe. But there is definitely SOMEONE or someTHING out there that makes all the toys =) Obviously it isn't Santa at all the malls, because he's too busy. He secretly has all his family members do it.

The end.

No point in trying to prove me wrong. Resistance is futile. Santa is REAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!