Does Christmas Force Parents To Lie?

Author: erics, Posted May 3rd, 2010 at 5:03:58pm

Just a random thought about Santa Claus and the Big Lie…does one decide to tell a child all about Santa Claus and perpetrate the illusion so the child experiences the magic?

If the child believes the parents, and the lie is reinforced by the Christmas morning presents, then what happens when the child learns that there “really is no Santa Claus”? The betrayal is devastating. “My parents lied to me and can no longer be trusted.” What is worse, it is not even something the child can necessarily communicate to the parent. It even puts the parents on the defensive when they must explain their actions to the child.

Perhaps it is just simple “growing up”. Seems cruel to me. How many people harbor bitterness about the holidays all their lives because of it? Christmas as it is practiced in the USA is a commercial enterprise, a monetary bonanza for the country’s retailers. We are deluged with commercial advertisements incessantly – in print, on the radio and TV, in the stores, everywhere. And it starts earlier and earlier each year. In my youth, it started the day after Thanksgiving. Now it starts the day after Halloween. Just too much blitz and not enough spirit. Especially given the holiday’s Pagan roots, there is much irony in the situation.

What if there were a way for a child to experience the wonder of Santa Claus and still not feel betrayed? I will muse on it and see if I can answer my own question…

Categories: Family, Holidays, Rants Tags: Christmas, Santa Claus