Is It Time To Do Away With Santa?

RoyalMarine

dont do away with santa, just tone down the commercial value of it.

The Volt

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

dont do away with santa, just tone down the commercial value of it.

Don't the two support each other?

jd007

I blame the kids

Dudess

It's not just about the "getting stuff", it's the sense of magic and fantasy. If parents are willing to spend a grand on each kid, that's their stupidity, not the Santa legend. And certainly not reason to punish children in general.

Capt'n Midnight

Voltwad wrote: »

Don't the two support each other?

Yeah he gets a kickback from the Big Brands.

and in case you were wondering those presents in the shops have a huge mark up, even if they only sell one for every one Satan gives away they are still laughing all the way to the bank.

Just creates lots of little consumers who expect instant gratification

lalee17

Dudess wrote: »

It's not just about the "getting stuff", it's the sense of magic and fantasy. If parents are willing to spend a grand on each kid, that's their stupidity, not the Santa legend. And certainly not reason to punish children in general.

Agreed! OP is a SCROOGE

TheZohanS

Is it time to do away with Voltwad? :mad:;):p:D

Agricola

Voltwad wrote: »

That's a fair point. I'm not saying I'm completely decided on this BTW, hence I left it as an open question. There is a major problem with how much the average expectations of children from Santa have risen though. Where does it end?

Everyones expectations have risen over the last 15 years. Just ask the trade union leaders!

The fact of the matter is kids these days need to take the pain. There has to be an adjustment, not a fiscal adjustment, a xmas present adjustment! In this new climate, its just not prudent or viable for kids to be getting lots of presents. They need to take the pain now, so that their kids and grandkids can have a chance of having lots of presents!

opinion guy

Won't somebody please think of the children !!!!!

Rockn wrote: »

Aye get rid of him. The excuse parents always use for promoting the santa thing is that it makes Christmas more magical for the kids. BS. Kids like opening presents on Christmas morning, they don't care if they were brought by their parents or a fat red man.

Look at children being brought to see santa in a shopping centre. Half of them are too young to know who or what he's meant to be. And some are even afraid to go near him. I think santa is more for the parents then for the kids.

Might as well add in a "bah humbug" aswell.

Completey agree - its all for the parents. Personally if I ever have kidds I have no intention of deliberately lying to them. I have to say in my own case I found out about santa from another kid when I was nine. I can still remember the sense of betrayal I felt towards my parents for basically lying to me in order to get me to behave/do what they want (cause I was by no stretch a bad kid). I also would think its a sense of betrayal I carried over into my surly/Kevin the teenager years. I'm sorry - but what do parents expect to get. You lie to your kids for years about Santa, tooth fairy, easter bunny, etc and whatever, then wonder why they get all pissed off, rebellious and cranky when they become teenagers and discover everything you told them was a lie. Teenagers are a modern invention - just like Santa. Related things? Hell yes.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

m@cc@

Santa is the reason for the commercialisation of Christmas in the same way McDonalds is responsible for obesity.

Buceph

opinion guy wrote: »

Won't somebody please think of the children !!!!!




Completey agree - its all for the parents. Personally if I ever have kidds I have no intention of deliberately lying to them. I have to say in my own case I found out about santa from another kid when I was nine. I can still remember the sense of betrayal I felt towards my parents for basically lying to me in order to get me to behave/do what they want (cause I was by no stretch a bad kid). I also would think its a sense of betrayal I carried over into my surly/Kevin the teenager years. I'm sorry - but what do parents expect to get. You lie to your kids for years about Santa, tooth fairy, easter bunny, etc and whatever, then wonder why they get all pissed off, rebellious and cranky when they become teenagers and discover everything you told them was a lie. Teenagers are a modern invention - just like Santa. Related things? Hell yes.

When you mature and stop blaming your parents you'll figure it out. Some things are magical, and it's a magic we create ourselves. Coming together and sharing a belief, not in something greater than us, but in something innocent and special that holds true for all our hopes.

smodgley

TheZohan wrote: »

Is it time to do away with Voltwad? :mad:;):p:D

Laughed at that nice one mod:D

The Volt

TheZohan wrote: »

Is it time to do away with Voltwad? :mad:;):p:D

Sound

opinion guy

Buceph wrote: »

When you mature and stop blaming your parents you'll figure it out. Some things are magical, and it's a magic we create ourselves. Coming together and sharing a belief, not in something greater than us, but in something innocent and special that holds true for all our hopes.

MUWUHAHAHAHAHA.

First I said - remember the effect it HAD on me - not HAS.
Second - blah blah blah yacekty smackety (spot the reference anyone). But really - you're response to my measured argument is some things are magic, shared belief etc etc. Christianity forum is that away

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stripysocks85

DO NOT GET RID OF SANTA!

I think that's what brings the magic of Christmas - I wish I still believed in Santa, in a weird sort of way. It's a wonderful feeling for the younger ones to believe and hope that this man in a red suit in a sleigh is going to fly around the world and bring you presents that you want I realise it can put financial strain on families, and of course you can't always give the kids what they want, but you know this day is coming every year, put a little bit away each week, and buy some presents in the sales etc. It doesn't HAVE to put you in financial debt for the following year!!!

I love the magic of Santa, and yes it's not celebrating the true meaning or purpose of Christmas, but celebrating Jesus' birthday can not replace the excitement and wonder that Santa's visit can

Merry Christmas everyone

cue brute

i think we should get rid of santa what with the recession and everything - whatever funding he's getting should be withdrawn and the balance put towards social welfare, homelessness or some other needy cause

Capt'n Midnight

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Arthur C. Clarke

punkindrublic

Santa ruined my childhood so I say he should be gone! I spent one half of it doubting his existence and the other half whinging when my suspicions turned out to be true!

stripysocks85

punkindrublic wrote: »

Santa ruined my childhood so I say he should be gone! I spent one half of it doubting his existence and the other half whinging when my suspicions turned out to be true!

Your parents didn't do very well in disguising the Santaness then.... at most, you'd be 2 years being suspicious/doubtful of his existence, unless of course you were being sarcastic, but surely that's unheard of in AH???

ynotdu

Hope this thread is gone by morning,would hate if any 'little darling' googled Santa (pages from Ireland)and got it as a search result..............innocence lost on xmas day itself?:(

punkindrublic

ynotdu wrote: »

Hope this thread is gone by morning,would hate if any 'little darling' googled Santa (pages from Ireland)and got it as a search result..............innocence lost on xmas day itself?:(

Innocence will be long lost already if "little darling" is using the Internet

punkindrublic

stripysocks85 wrote: »

Your parents didn't do very well in disguising the Santaness then.... at most, you'd be 2 years being suspicious/doubtful of his existence, unless of course you were being sarcastic, but surely that's unheard of in AH???

ah it wasn't her who fkd it up, when I was about 4/5 an older girl showed me her garage full of "Santa" toys, still held a little hope for the next 3 years or so even though I would search like crazy for proof it wasn't real. Finally on Xmas day when I was about 8 my grandmother said she couldn't believe her bosses daughter still believed in Santa because she was 12, she tried to get around it but it was too late. Now I just see the grinch everytime I look at her.

BluesBerry

Voltwad wrote: »

Que 'scrooge' tags galore.

I was thinking about my own personal experiences as a child in regards to looking forward to Christmas and I'd be interested to hear other opinions. During my younger years, a belief in the supernatural that supposedly is Santa may have prompted me to have higher expectations of what to expect in relation to presents. Fast forward to present day and in these times I can see what's a need and what's a want for me.

Christmas has become so commericalized, not only does it strain the already strained pockets of parents (Hallmark etc pressure people into doing so) but religious or not (and I'm not), it de-values togetherness, spending time with family and compassion overall in my opinion.

I was listening to Gerry Ryan earlier on, he had kids telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas. There was one child in particular who asked for a piano, a guitar, a drumkit, games for her nintendo and a new playstation. I mean... gtfo! It's time that we rid ourselves of this nonsensical charade once and for all.

How about a Christmas without Santa? We eradicate the idea of a supernatural being who is omnipresent and replace him with a promise to children of ONE gift of their choice on Christmas Day (Well off people can still exploit this if they so wish but at least the average joe wont have to worry about debt as much). If kids believe from an early age that there is no such thing as Santa, will they be less inclined to ask for outlandish Christmas requests? And will the removal of Santa from Western civilisation be the cure to the commercialism that has destroyed the traditional values of Christmas time?

Wash your mouth:( out with soap santa is cool ice ice baby :cool:

ynotdu

punkindrublic wrote: »

Innocence will be long lost already if "little darling" is using the Internet

Lol punkin, i think there are still a 'few' who have not used it yet!:)

confusticated

It'd be very unfair to do that I think, cos the rich spoilt kids (eg the instrument crazy one mentioned earlier) will get all that stuff again on their birthdays and whenever they want. Santa is really the only time that lots of kids are let loose and can ask for whatever they want. I think most parents make it clear enough to kids that they can ask but Santa mightn't be able to deliver on every single one. Most that I know anyhow.

opinion guy

ynotdu wrote: »

Hope this thread is gone by morning,would hate if any 'little darling' googled Santa (pages from Ireland)and got it as a search result..............innocence lost on xmas day itself?:(

Innocence ? Since when is believing in a lie innocence ? Surely it's the exact opposite ?

ynotdu

opinion guy wrote: »

Innocence ? Since when is believing in a lie innocence ? Surely it's the exact opposite ?

Did You write the movie 'The Grinch'?

opinion guy

ynotdu wrote: »

Did You write the movie 'The Grinch'?

I've not even seen it

blackbetty69

dont get rid of santa