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I believe

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  • 04-12-2015 12:53am
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭


    I was just remembering something my dad used to do when we were kids to help reinforce our belief in Santa.
    We lived in a thatched house for a few years when I was young (no I'm not a million years old!) and while we were sleeping on Christmas eve night my dad would pull bits of the thatch off and scatter it on the ground. The next morning he'd make a big show of shouting and complaining about 'that feckin Rudolph!' eating the roof!

    My mam used to give all the presents to my next door neighbours until after we were asleep on Christmas eve. We'd spend the run up to Christmas searching the house for them, and of course took it as proof that the big man did exist, when we never found them.

    And finally, when I was very very little someone told me the flashing lights of planes in the dark were Santa's sleigh lights. I'd search the sky frantically!

    So what did your parents do to help you believe a little more?


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    #2
    JustShon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭JustShon


    Cut up little bits of tinsel and scattered them around the fireplace as Santa's "magic dust" that he uses to get down the chimney.

    If I wasn't sleeping they'd get out a set of Christmas bells, shake them a little bit then have the other go into my room and tell me it sounds like Santa's near and I'd better get to sleep. Served the dual purpose of making me believe and getting me to go to sleep.

    They also did the keeping the gifts in a neighbour's house thing. The whole road was in on it, nobody had their own kids' presents in the house.


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    #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    JustShon wrote: »
    Cut up little bits of tinsel and scattered them around the fireplace as Santa's "magic dust" that he uses to get down the chimney.

    Aww love this! If I have my own kids someday I'm gonna do that!


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    #4
    JustShon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭JustShon


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Aww love this! If I have my own kids someday I'm gonna do that!

    Definitely a tradition I'll be continuing if I ever have kids. In the extremely unlikely event I live in a thatch cottage I'll steal your parents' trick with Rudolph eating the roof too :)


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    #5
    SAMTALK
    Registered Users Posts: 2,317 ✭✭✭SAMTALK


    JustShon wrote: »
    Definitely a tradition I'll be continuing if I ever have kids. In the extremely unlikely event I live in a thatch cottage I'll steal your parents' trick with Rudolph eating the roof too :)

    And footprints either in powder (snow) or ashes from fire. Really nice tough


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    #6
    stargazer 68
    Registered Users Posts: 5,075 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    My folks and my aunts and uncles used to store everything in my grannys house - place was like a toy shop. Then Xmas eve all converge at some point to collect everything. When I got older I helped sort it all out!!

    With my kids I used to get them new pjs and leave them on the doorstep wrapped up on Xmas eve - go out the back door and ring the bell for them to answer. Santa is on his way so its time for bed!! Worked like a charm for years. They are 23 and 17 now so its a bit harder to fool them!


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    #7
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    JustShon wrote: »
    Cut up little bits of tinsel and scattered them around the fireplace as Santa's "magic dust" that he uses to get down the chimney.

    We have glitter we use for that. And I always give out and make a big show over getting the dust-buster out and having to clean up after the big man.

    We have separate wrapping paper for Santy presents.

    I'm going to try to look out for the ISS this year if it's a clear night.


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    #8
    JustShon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭JustShon


    Das Kitty wrote: »
    We have separate wrapping paper for Santy presents.

    Oh yeah, we did that too. I got Santy presents and presents from my parents. The ones from my parents were usually some accessory to go with the main Santy gift e.g. a second controller to go with the Playstation that Santy brought.


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    #9
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Dovies wrote: »
    They are 23 and 17 now so its a bit harder to fool them!

    You can do it! Santa still fills our stockings every year in my mums house. Yes Santa. Not my mum. She gets very offended if anyone suggests its her doing it. So you have a bunch of people ranging from 28 to 38 excitedly opening their stockings in the morning and saying things like "oooh look what Santa gave me mum! He's the best!". :D:D:D


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    #10
    stargazer 68
    Registered Users Posts: 5,075 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    You can do it! Santa still fills our stockings every year in my mums house. Yes Santa. Not my mum. She gets very offended if anyone suggests its her doing it. So you have a bunch of people ranging from 28 to 38 excitedly opening their stockings in the morning and saying things like "oooh look what Santa gave me mum! He's the best!". :D:D:D

    Oh they still get stocking etc. And email me Santa's list!!


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    #11
    emeldc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭emeldc


    Hardly a Christmas fairytale but but my parents used to leave an empty beer bottle and a half eaten sandwich by the fireplace. Santa's lunch :o


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    #12
    JustShon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭JustShon


    emeldc wrote: »
    Hardly a Christmas fairytale but but my parents used to leave an empty beer bottle and a half eaten sandwich by the fireplace. Santa's lunch :o

    Dad once told me I should leave a beer for out for Santy. Mam told me I shouldn't because Santy shouldn't drink and drive. It's only when I got older I realised why dad didn't look too pleased.


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    #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    emeldc wrote: »
    Hardly a Christmas fairytale but but my parents used to leave an empty beer bottle and a half eaten sandwich by the fireplace. Santa's lunch :o

    Ha my parents used to leave Guinness! Drink driving mustn't apply to sleighs! I'm guessing my dad came up with that so he could have a sneaky Guinness before bed.


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    #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    JustShon wrote: »
    Dad once told me I should leave a beer for out for Santy. Mam told me I shouldn't because Santy shouldn't drink and drive. It's only when I got older I realised why dad didn't look too pleased.

    You got in there before me!


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    #15
    Toto Wolfcastle
    Registered Users Posts: 25,005 ✭✭✭✭Toto Wolfcastle


    Deleted User wrote: »
    You can do it! Santa still fills our stockings every year in my mums house. Yes Santa. Not my mum. She gets very offended if anyone suggests its her doing it. So you have a bunch of people ranging from 28 to 38 excitedly opening their stockings in the morning and saying things like "oooh look what Santa gave me mum! He's the best!". :D:D:D

    I'm 30 and I still don't get presents from my parents. It's all Santa. Well, my dad has started buying us all something small but everything else is Santa. I love it!

    Rudolph used to take a bite out of the carrot we'd leave out for him.


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    #16
    dori_dormer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,919 ✭✭✭dori_dormer


    The best thing my parents ever did that solidified my belief went like this:

    On the 1st nov we had to write our santa lists. I decided to be sneaky and write one for our dog too asking for a kennel and squeaky toys. Left it on the mantel with ours but hid it behind a picture. Next morning it was gone and I was so excited! I'd sort of forgotten about the whole thing by christmas, until my mum asked me to open the dining room curtains, and there in the middle of the garden was the kennel with a glitter bow on it! I couldn't believe it!

    Years later my mum told us that it was supposed to be in the sitting room but it was so heavy she couldn't pull it any further lol!


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    #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    dori_dormer wrote: »
    The best thing my parents ever did that solidified my belief went like this:

    On the 1st nov we had to write our santa lists. I decided to be sneaky and write one for our dog too asking for a kennel and squeaky toys. Left it on the mantel with ours but hid it behind a picture. Next morning it was gone and I was so excited! I'd sort of forgotten about the whole thing by christmas, until my mum asked me to open the dining room curtains, and there in the middle of the garden was the kennel with a glitter bow on it! I couldn't believe it!

    Years later my mum told us that it was supposed to be in the sitting room but it was so heavy she couldn't pull it any further lol!

    Oh wow I love that story! How did they know it was behind the picture!!! And what a sweet kid to write one for your dog! Santa will be visiting all the animals here this year!


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    #18
    Alicat
    Registered Users Posts: 10,264 ✭✭✭✭Alicat


    My parents also did the glitter thing. Coming from the fireplace, and up the stairs to both our bedroom doors (where our stockings hung). Occasionally there would be a trail into the kitchen, by the fridge...

    My parents called it "oofle dust" though, which I now know they stole from Sooty & Sweep.

    "Santa" also left some soft toy Robins on the fence outside once.


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    #19
    dori_dormer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,919 ✭✭✭dori_dormer


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Oh wow I love that story! How did they know it was behind the picture!!! And what a sweet kid to write one for your dog! Santa will be visiting all the animals here this year!

    She must have seen me! She also did the whole ' oh my god what is that!' And the whole' naughty girl asking for presents for the dog!' But it was brill!


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    #20
    screamer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,131 ✭✭✭screamer


    Here's one but not with a cutsey ending an older lady told me. One year when she was a child their family had no money for Christmas but they all believed in Santa so her father went down to the sitting room and put some shreds red wool all over the floor on Xmas eve. There were no presents you see. The next morning when she and her siblings came down the stairs her father exclaimed oh Jesus the cat ate santa. They believed it too. Sad story but true.


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    #21
    Icsics
    Registered Users Posts: 2,043 ✭✭✭Icsics


    We open the stove door, mix white flour & glitter, sive it around hubbies shoes....magic Santa footprints as far as the tree....kids in awe & mommy complains about the mess Santa made 😉


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    #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Icsics wrote: »
    We open the stove door, mix white flour & glitter, sive it around hubbies shoes....magic Santa footprints as far as the tree....kids in awe & mommy complains about the mess Santa made 😉

    Ah that's a brilliant idea! Some lovely stories here... With the exception of one! (I'm lookin' at you Screamer! :D )


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    #23
    tea and coffee
    Registered Users Posts: 1,823 ✭✭✭tea and coffee


    My parents used to do ash footprints and eating the food etc
    I do similar except use glitter. I also scatter scraps of wrapping paper /ribbon /tape around as if Santa was in a hurry trying to wrap all the gifts.


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