playful Scrooging

[anotheranon]

Am I a total killjoy that I find this (found over at Pharyngula) rather amusing?

'Cos when I think about it, it does seem a bit weird/excessive to invent a jolly, gift-bearing man in red when all the Christmas decorations, gifts, etc. are going to be equally fun whether they come from Santa or Mom and Dad.

I mean, why not tell kids that Wonder Woman is bringing gifts to all the good boys and girls? At least it would render moot the thing about not letting kids find out that Santa isn't real.

I actually don't remember when I figured out that Santa=parents, but I don't remember being particularly traumatized or upset by it.

When/how did you find out about Santa (if you come from that background)?

Comments

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Love it ... as it is and as it can be applied to all blind believe-what-you're-told-without-thinking behaviour.

Couldn't tell you an exact age of figuring it out, but I think I was about 8 when myself and my 18-months-younger sister got out of bed one night to confront our parents on this after discussing the problem between ourselves ... they confessed the truth and we went contentedly back to bed and sleep, having promised not to spoil the fun for the younger siblings (bear in mind that I was also the kid who accompanied the tooth under my pillow with a note asking for a photo as proof of the existence of the tooth fairy instead of money ***GRIN***). My consciousness of my in-built atheism, although I didn't know the word at the time and wouldn't for several more years, occurred around this same age.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I really don't remember figuring it out. I DO remember when I was about 5 or so I was up every hour, on the hour on Christmas eve even imagined hearing footsteps on my grandparents' roof (I was likely so exhausted I was hearing things)!

Some of the comments at Pharyngula (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/12/the_reason_for_the_season.php) mention that figuring out Santa also set them on the road to atheism, so you're definitely not alone on that...

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Actually I'd say my atheism came first, but just not consciously ... one went through the motions of church and prayer because it was what was done, but I know that at a very early age (definitely well before I was 5) there was much about about the whole religion thing that simply didn't "track" for me; there was, at least, some sort of tangible proof of Santa in the form of loot ... ;-)

Santa

[timcharmorbien.livejournal.com]

I was around 15 when I actually saw Moma putting the gifts under the tree. I knew for sometime where the gifts came from because back then there were such things as layaways that Moma would speak of to the adults but not us, and charities like Nashville's "Big Brothers" that brought food and toys to our home. I just didn't want to give up the fantasy that such a person existed that cared enough to bring me a gift for merely being a good girl and believing in him.
Knowing did not affect my belief in God, Jesus, or Heaven. I felt I had proof of their existence. What the adults tried to teach me about them however was not necessary what I believed about them.
I choose to believe in magic and fairies, too. I guess you could say I live in my own little world and sometimes I'll invite others in.

Re: Santa

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I just didn't want to give up the fantasy that such a person existed that cared enough to bring me a gift for merely being a good girl and believing in him.

That does indeed make sense.

And I've got no problems with beliefs that one freely chooses. It's mindless or coerced belief systems that give me serious pause.

[timcharmorbien.livejournal.com]

Waking to hear Santa cussing in the living room was probably the first hint, as he sounded REMARKABLY like my step-father, though I was side tracked when I faintly heard my mother shushing him, as I had never before realized that Mrs. Claus went on the delivery runs with Santa! What finally sinched it was catching my Mom in the act of tooth fairying - - she let me in on the big "grown up" secret on the condition I not tell my siblings until they figured it out themselves.

Still don't know why a rabbit gives us eggs every year - - :p

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

If you ever see that rabbit, tell him I'm STILL waiting for my 64 pack of crayons that I begged and pleaded for at every holiday!

(Yeah, yeah, I've got the 96 pack now, but it's the principle of the thing - that bun could send an apologetic note or SOMETHING...) :P

Santa discoveries

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

I was an observant child.

About the time I was 6 or 7 (my birthday is in Feb. so at Christmas I'm six weeks from my next birthday) I noticed that Santa's handwriting and my mom's were surpringly similar. I also found the box that my baby carriage came in. Mom copped and that was it. We kept it quiet until my sister figured it out.

My kidlet figured it out about 2ish years ago. She twigged to the tooth fairy first, and then just carried the logic to the easter bunny and Santa. She's not freaked by it at all.

I don't think we ever did the go talk to Santa thing with the kidlet. Most because I always thougth it was just a bit creepy and too much hassle.