Is It Time To Do Away With Santa?

Sierra Oscar

Just tell the child Santa cant fit the piano down the chimney.

'Nuff said.

(Really though, parents have to teach their kids not to be greedy . . . Santa was around back in the good old days when people had lower expectations.)

Seloth

I think its wonderful how Santa is kept alive ina child eyes with the help of adults,with presenters and such never saying he aint.

Keeping childhood innocence alive and such.

Bodhisopha

I am sick and tired of hearing people crying about "hallmark holidays" hitting them in the pocket.

If you don't like it buy the cheaper ****ing cards.

Hank_Jones

I remember my parents would just say that he has to carry all the stuff on his sleigh so there is a limit to how much you can get.

Thinking back they were really good to us and we certainly never asked for a bloody piano....

I suppose on the back of the celtic tiger kids think that santa can get them anything that they want no problem.

interlocked

Dear Editor--I am eight 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 W. 95th Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except 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 child-like 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 you 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 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.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Helix

interlocked wrote: »

Dear Editor--I am eight 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 W. 95th Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except 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 child-like 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 you 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 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.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

sounds like thinly veiled religious nonsense tbh

opinion guy

Seloth wrote: »

I think its wonderful how Santa is kept alive ina child eyes with the help of adults,with presenters and such never saying he aint.

Keeping childhood innocence alive and such.

Again teaching kids to believe in a lie is not innocence - its the very definition of the polar opposite.

BarryDoodles

i agree. This is the first christmas i've been overtly detesting christmas and i'm amazed with the number of people that agree. Russel Brand's christmas ponderland land had some good points for anti christmas too

Pdfile

do away with fat santa... i know its cold at the north pole.... but jasus... i hate seeing fat famous people.

opinion guy

BarryDoodles wrote: »

i agree. This is the first christmas i've been overtly detesting christmas and i'm amazed with the number of people that agree. Russel Brand's christmas ponderland land had some good points for anti christmas too

Didn't see that, but then I'm no fan of Russel Brand either...

Capt'n Midnight

Bodhisopha wrote: »

I am sick and tired of hearing people crying about "hallmark holidays" hitting them in the pocket.

If you don't like it buy the cheaper ****ing cards.

Or make your own , print out an A5 design on A4 paper and fold twice


http://www.code-d.com/tesco-cards/tesco-value-merry-christmas.gif

Sheeps

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?

Shut up.

Krusader

Santa is dead, he's buried at Jerpoint Abbey

ScumLord

I'm neither Christian or capitalist so I find the Santa lie repulsive.

Piste

I like it, and I don't think it makes kids greedy. I mean, it doesn't cost Santa money to make the toys and it's all done by magic, so why not ask for as much as possible? I think most parents tell their kids that the list is just a wishlist and Santa will pick the toys to send to them.


Would any of the posters on here tell their kids that there is no Santa, even if it meant those kids running around and telling their friends?

jumpguy

No, and if it devalues Christmas togetherness, then you're doing it wrong.

opinion guy

ScumLord wrote: »

I'm neither Christian or capitalist so I find the Santa lie repulsive.

Agree thou I don't really think Santa has anything to do with Christianity

Buceph

Making a time special for kids and adults, when families come together and share their joy with each other is a bad thing?

Maybe your families are just ****e. When I was young I liked the presents, but as I grew up I began to appreciate being around the people I like with a common theme to enjoy.

I'm not christian, rejected all that when I was 12 and I'm not a capitalist whore, I enjoy the other parts of Christmas. It seems the begrudgers are just blinded by their own grumpiness.