Christmas is never poorer without Santa
KAMLOOPS — A couple of days ago, a CBC news headline caught my eye. It was about the myth of Santa and whether it is a beloved tradition or a damaging lie. A study concluded that perpetuating the Santa myth damages children’s trust in their parents and ultimately the kids’ mental health may suffer too. Other psychiatrists agreed that the myth can seriously affect children who already have trust issues.
I know parents who go to extraordinary lengths to feed the illusion, so I can sympathize with the idea that a child’s trust can be at least temporarily affected when truth surfaces. That kids are smarter than we give them credit for is true. The magic in their world comes from watching a butterfly emerge from a cocoon, from watching a starry summer sky while snuggled next to their parents and, quite a lot of it, from being read to and from reading on their own as they get older.
As for the Santa article, comments were allowed and boy, did they ever come in! The good old polite and apologetic Canadian way was forgotten, at least in the handful of comments I browsed over (there were over a thousand.) Some people attacked Christianity and demanded that the myth of it be retired as well should Santa go, many defended Santa saying it is rightful that children be allowed to have a bit of mystery in their lives. A couple of people pointed out that some children have the luxury of believing in Santa while others don’t. I can relate.
It was three years ago that my little guy asked point blank if Santa was real. I asked him what his thought was. He replied that if Santa was real he would first attend to poor children. He was referring to the previous year’s gift giving at his brother’s school in Vancouver. We were encouraged to pick a name and buy a gift for a child from the sister school whose parents had lesser means to provide Christmas gifts.