father christmas

When I was in third grade, I had just learned about the concept of UNICEF boxes. I wanted something expensive, and my mom suggested asking Santa for it. Realizing the item was expensive, I thought up, "North Pole Committee for Jingle Bugs" and did chores for people and wanted to go to the mall and give the money I earned to Santa so he could buy the present, or I could write a check and send it to, "Santa Claus, North Pole." but my mom told me multiple times, "Santa doesn't take money from the public. Santa's magic." She told me that Santa or his elves contact the toy companies and say, "I'd like to place an order of 5,000..., 3,000...", or they go out to stores nationwide and present an ID card and take what they need, and no, they don't have to pay." So instead, I donated money to a drive to help kids whose parents couldn't afford to buy them gifts. Then I realized that the reason one can't give money to Santa is because he's not real, and the money could get lost, and that if there was a Santa, we wouldn't need these drives for children whose parents can't afford presents for them.

Anon

When I was little we lived in Hartlepool. Out of my bedroom window I could see sparkly lights and flames on the horizon. My Dad always told me that it was where Santa lived. I later found out that it was Hartepool Power Station!!!

Charly

I once convinced myself that nobody knew for sure whether or not Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy were real(because I assumed every belief was unknon for sure). When I figured out there was no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy(which was because I heard my sister say that one of her classmates didn't believe in the tooth fairy, she thought it was just your parents sneaking up on you), I convinced myself, "Is there a Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy? Nobody knows for sure. Some people believe there is one, others say it is your parents sneaking up on you and that the letters are written by volunteers at the post office and the emails by people who created websites. But if it is your parents sneaking up on you and this is where the letters and emails come from, the parents can't see themselves doing it and don't know that they're doing it. And the toy sellers and manufacturers can't see themselves issuing presents to Santa and the Easter Bunny(sometimes the Tooth Fairy did give presents rather than money).

Anon

In my country there are no chimneys so I used to believe that Santa Clause use to enter my house through the keyhole, that was what my mother told me as a child.

Jason

When i was little about 5 or 6 we used to stay at my nans and she told me that at midnight santa came to the house and left his sleigh on the roof, so i waited up all night and at midnight i started to climb out the window, my nan came in just in time to see what i was doing, when she got me back in i told her i was going to climb onto the roof to see santa that is when she told me he wasnt up there she had already checked.

Michelle

I believed in Santa Claus with my whole heart as a little girl. Then my stepbrother told me that some man shot and killed him. This hurt me so badly that I never tried to make my own daughters believe in Santa Claus or any other of the make believe characters so many adults teach their own children. I determined my girls would not be hurt as I was. At the same time, I would instruct them to never tell the other children there was no Santa Claus.

Dottie

When I was little, not only would Santa come by, but so would the reindeer. We always left out carrots and we would always see hoof prints the next morning. So when we were going to get new carpeting for Christmas, I reminded mom and told the clerk that we should wait until after Christmas so the reindeer wouldn't mess up the new carpeting.

Kathy

When I was little, I believed in Santa (of course). We used to put out milk and cookies and they would be gone in the morning so, naturally, I thought he was real. Until one Christmas Eve when I was nosy snoping for presents for me and I saw a gift to one of my sisters from Santa Claus. My parents tried to tell me Santa came early because he had soo many children to get to.

Serina

After I found out that Father Christmas was not real, but before it occured to me that my parents would hide presents, I thought that all the Mums and Dads went to the shops on Christmas Eve to buy all the presents. I used to try and stay awake, not to hear Santa, but to try and hear the car going out. Although this was just my own logic, looking back, it didn't occur to me to be worried that Mum and Dad would leave me alone when they went out.

Mitch Law

I used to believe Santa got into the house via the radiator pipes (we had no chimney or fireplace) and I'd always stick my letter there. Then when I found out he didn't exist, I pretended I still did because I thought I'd stop getting presents...

Hannahmarie

When I was younger, like most kids, I believed in Santa. My parents were deeply religious though and didn't want us to think of Christmas as being secular so they told us the story of St. Nicholas and now we call him Santa and he wasn't on the north pole but in Heaven and God let him come down every Christmas to bring us toys. I was 7 years old when out found out the truth. I literally had a crisis of faith at the age of 7 and wouldn't believe anything of a religious nature for quite awhile.

Rachele

As many others, I believed in Santa. One day in the car, I started crying, because I was thinking about a monster. My mom said, "Don't worry, the monster isn't real--just like Santa" Which, of course, just made me cry more.

*S*A*N*T*A*

My friend's mom used to go outside early on Christmas morning every year and make big "Santa and Reindeer" prints... Until 2nd grade, when my friend found the big boots and "hoofs" in the back of the closet...

Anon

when we were younger,on Christmas Eve, we all (there were 8 in all) were sent to the barn and told to be very quiet and at 12midnight, if we were very still, we could hear the animals talk. After all they were the first to see the baby Jesus. So all of us would go out about 11:30pm and wait, and wait, and wait for the animals to talk. When nothing happened we went back in the house and low and be hold....We once again missed seeing Santa delivering the gifts. Beautiful memories

dorothey

I have two older sisters, and when we were little, my middle sister and I wrote letters to Santa Claus. Showed us where we could send them and get letters back(Of course, places in HER room). My oldest sister pretended to write letters to Santa like us, but really she was writing replies to the letters we had already written. She would put all of our letters in the sending spot and make sure we watched. Then while we waited outside for replies, she made excuses to go in and switched her letters to the recieving spot and hide ours somewhere where we wouldn't find them. She would come back out, and a few minutes later she would say, "Let's go see if he wrote back!" We would check, and of course our letters were gone and "Santa's" letters were there. I don't know when my sister caught on, but I didn't realize what she had done until years later!

R.M.S

When I found out that santa wasnt real (I was about 8) I pretended that I still beleived in him because I thought my mum would get upset. -._.-

chichiri no da

i used to believe that reindeer were made up creatures and that they obviously didnt exist. but of course, santa and his flying sleigh did!

kelsey