Our house growing up was small, so hiding gifts wasn't all that easy. Thus, the myth died for me around 7-8. Both my daughters had a pretty good run with it, and both found out the same way: coming into our bedroom around 1:30am Christmas Eve as I was assembling something and my wife wrapping other gifts. In the last 2 years or so, tags on their gifts that would have said "From Santa" now read, "From Festivus Phil."
I believed in Santa until I was in the third grade and my friends explained to me the impossibility of such a person/elf/whatever. As for my son, my ex-wife and I tried to build up the magic of Christmas and Santa as much as we could, but we forgot one crucial detail: We never left any presents addressed from Santa. When Li'l Bandit was 8, it was Christmas time, and we were walking through a store with toys on display. He asked me if he could get one of them for Christmas, and I replied: "Well, we'll just have to see what Santa brings you this year." Li'l Bandit stopped walking, looked me square in the eye with a stern look on his face and said: "Dad, I know that there's no such thing as Santa. It's just something they made up for little kids." The jig was up, and I admitted to him that he was right.
You people had some lame parents. Santa always left my presents wrapped in a completely different paper from the ones my parents gave me, and the handwriting was always different from my parents' as well. Of course, now I would probably have recognized my mom writing careful block letters in all caps, but the illusion was carefully kept up in my house. I don't know, it's more than just whether or not they believe in some fat guy that doesn't exist. It's partly about participation in the whole holiday tradition. I loved, as a kid, setting out cookies for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer. The stories and the songs and the mystery are all part of Christmas when you're a kid. Talking with your friends about it. One year we went for a walk on Christmas morning in the snow and there was a freshly-shed antler in the yard - not an uncommon sight, but of course on Christmas morning, there was only one explanation. Rudolph. It was Rudolph's antler - in my yard, of all the yards in the whole world. I was awestruck. I guess I don't see why you would want to deprive your child of one of many pleasant childhood illusions that all have so many enjoyable traditions built off them.
I grew up believing in Santa but figured out early on that all the hype could not be true. It would be impossible to make it to every house in one night, our house had no fireplace/chimney, all of the Santas at the department stores looked different. This made the "lie" not such a big deal because I had figured it out years before it was admitted to me. When I had my children (3- two girls and a boy) and other parents told me horror stories about being lied to by their parents and the mistrust that ensued I had to consider my position. I also absolutely abhorred children who were obnoxious and spoiled and all they talked about for months before was what santa was bringing. So instead I focused on Christmas as a joyous celebration with family, friends and gifts. When the children were toddlers people would ask "what is santa bringing you?" and they would look at me confused. I would reply with "tell them what you want for Christmas" and the conversation would continue. When they got older and became more aware of others getting presents from Santa they asked me about it. I explained to them that some parents tell their children that Santa delivers presents on Christmas eve and they saw the tv shows/movies about it. I also expressed to them that they were not in a position to tell other children any differently. They considered it to be extremely cool that they knew a grown secret and every one else did not. Now they are 16,18, and 19 and have all stated that they think I made the right decision and will do the same with their children one day. They have expressed that they are very happy with me for not lying to them. I just wanted to share my experience. If any one has particular questions I do not mind answering.
Are you all really so dead inside that you're finding fault with believing in Santa? Holy balls. Anyone who had actual, serious mistrust issues arise in the parent-child relationship as a result of finding out Santa wasn't real is insane. Santa is a fun myth. It's harmless. You aren't maliciously lying to your children to try to fuck them up, and unless the kid has some trust issues or something already and is old enough to have developed critical thinking, finding out Santa isn't real seems like it ought to be more of a "duh" moment than some childhood-destroying cataclysm. Maybe yalls parents just didn't love you, but the Santa ritual was always an exciting thing in my house - when I was little we put out cookies and scotch and even, when I was very little, carrots for the reindeer (which were always halfway nibbled in the morning). I don't remember exactly when I found out, but it must have been early because by the time I was in 4th grade I was helping my parents fill stockings on Christmas Eve when my sister was a baby. She was undecided on the whole issue until 2 or 3 Christmases ago, but I think it was more that she really really wanted him to be real than that she was having some failure of logic and reasoning. We still do Christmas and still do Santa with wrapped presents and stuffed stockings and everything, because it's fun. And because my mom insists to this day that she is a firm believer in Santa Claus. I don't care who you are, what religion, or political affiliation you subscribe to - if you have a problem with Santa you need to seriously lighten up. He's a harmless fatman/myth that makes children happy. Buncha sticks in the mud you lot.
I was in third or fourth grade when my older sister informed there was no Santa. It really did not make any difference as there were never any gifts under the tree until christmas morning even after all my siblings knew the truth about Santa. My boys are 14 and have known the truth about Santa for several years now. It makes no difference, there are no gifts under the tree until they appear sometime early Christmas morning when everyone is asleep. Most of the gifts are still marked "from Santa". Some things are not going to change.
I'm not sure when I stopped believing because I don't remember ever believing, which I'm somewhat wistful that that memory of innocent faith just doesn't exist for me. I do however remember confirming my disbelief at age 5 or 6. It was the middle of summer and my best friend was over and the subject of Santa and Christmas was being discussed. He was a full on believer, and I humoured him for a few minutes, and then, to quell my doubts that he had stoked in his glorious appraisal of the greatness of Santa, I went up to my mom and said something along the lines of, "I know Santa isn't real because your writing said my presents were from Santa, and Santa can't have your writing. He isn't real, right?" She confirmed this, and then threatened me with punishment if I were to wreck it for my best friend or younger sister. I didn't, but I do remember wrecking it for a bunch of girls in 2nd grade and their angry tears and my satisfied smug know-it-allness that followed.
I have a buddy who was Jewish, but they still celebrated Christmas. They had Santa, but it was a little different. Santa would come down their chimney and sell the kids gifts. Anyway: I think most kids figure out the deception, but go with it for a while longer to keep the loot from decreasing. I also have to commend my sister. She and I hated each other, but she kept up the Santa act for a long time to keep me from finding out. In fact, when I realized that Santa had my sister's handwriting one year, I knew for sure. Well, that and finding a box in my parent's close labeled in my dad's writing: PATS SHIT FROM SANTA
Wait... you mean there's no Santa ?!? My parents had us believing for a long time. We were pretty poor, so anytime we would ask if there really was a Santa, Mom would reply,"Do you really think we would buy all that ?" Case closed. It wasn't until I was in my early 30's I learned how they saved and worked overtime, borrowed and anything else they had to to ensure we had presents. I informed my wife, my parents will be spoiled on Christmas til they die. As for my kids, they still believe, and there's no harm in it. What's wrong with a little mystery, a little magic ? ( And picking up the phone threatening to call Santa when they misbehave. ) It makes for a great Christmas morning when they kids are flipping out because they "heard" Santa laughing, and he ate all the cookies but one ( which my youngest proceeded to finish off ) and Santa "checked on them" in the night as evidenced by the candy cane on their pillow ? It's fucking great man. I have an aunt who is super religious and in her attempt to instruct her grandkids in "the true meaning of Christmas" told them it was a story at a very young age. I informed my mother if I caught her sister pulling that shit with my kids she better hope she's right about and with God. Sort of off focus, sort of on: If you ever get a chance, read "The Autobiography of Santa Claus". It's a pretty lighthearted and fun read.
I grew up in a Jehovah's Witness household as a child, thus there was never any Easter, Christmas, birthday's or Halloween for tiny LatinGroove. It's a horrible feeling to a child when everyone else is getting cool shit and you get absolutely nothing. As far as my son goes, it's going to be another year or so before he can fully grasp the idea of who santa is, so I'll cross that road when I come to it. I'm not into the whole consumerism thing but it would be good for him to have some sort of tradition to hold onto since my family never did growing up.
I'm an only child, so at Christmas Santa Claus came and it was kick-ass growing up in the era of action figures. I was a GI Joe and Transformers kid, and I think I borderline owned all of them. I stopped believing I don't know when, maybe 9 years old? I'll set my daughter up for Santa, I think it's a fun and exciting thing for kids to look forward to, plus you get a month of good behaviour out of the deal while they ass-kiss their imaginary friend. If she finds out the truth and accusing me of lying, I'm bigger than her so I think I could take her.
I used to sleep in the living room where we put the Christmas tree every Christmas Eve while growing up. One year when I was around six or seven years old I woke up and saw my parents wrapping gifts and putting them under the tree. I was surprised but not shocked. I had suspected something was up but my parents always had an answer for every question I asked about Santa. I kept the secret pretty well for a few years until one year I decided that it was about time that my younger brother let go of his childish fantasies and hear the truth. My parents left us home while they were at a Christmas party (I was 11 and he was 7). I told him there was no Santa and showed him the body of evidence; i.e. the wrapping paper that Santa had wrapped our gifts in last year that was in our basement. He didn't want to believe me but after some convincing, he came around to the dark side. I was smitten with myself until my parents came home and learned what I had done I got a real ass chewing.
I can't be the only one who read the thread title and assumed it was going to be about sports fans from Philly. But anyway. I was actually raised Jewish... Kinda. I was raised reform Jewish so we celebrated the big holidays but my mom was atheist and I am, too. As a result, I always knew Santa wasn't real. But given the society that we live in and the fact that a huge majority of my friends were Christian and got to look forward year round to that day while I had to put up with obnoxious ads starting months before the holiday related to it, I developed a distaste for the holiday and everything associated with it, including Santa. Hated that fake asshole. I got over it eventually and now I just use it as an excuse to go out and get hammered with my Jewish friends. I was a bitter little Jew.
Yep, still seems like most of you had it figured out by seven or eight. As for me, armed with an above average IQ I put all of the clues together at... Age ten. I had a bit of an overactive imagination as a kid, and "Mom and Dad are Santa" is just the one paranoid conspiracy theory of mine that turned out to be true. If not for the bizarre thoughts, who knows when I would have figured it out.
Still, finding out Santa and the Easter Bunny didn't exist wasn't nearly as crushing to me as finding out the The Flintstones weren't actually filmed before a live studio audience. It's been over a year now and I still haven't shaken it.
My son's mother is a nutjob and does things in some strange ways. The little guy is coming right into the age bracket where Santa is the best thing coming, followed closely by the Easter Bunny. Depending on the time of the year, everything he sees that he wants is either "maybe for my birthday" or "maybe Santa will be me that". So how does his mother screw it up in a novel and interesting way? She's convinced him that only Santa brings him presents at Christmas; his parents don't get him anything. This caused massive confusion and, accordingly for his age, tears on Christmas day when a good present came from dad that should have come from Santa.
For me at 7-8 years old I was crushed to learn that there was no Santa, Easter Bunny, God or Tooth Fairy.