Amazon

I know, Arrowman. It sounds cynical and grumpy, but I have a problem with lying at all - not just when it coincides with a religious ritual. But as soon as you start badmouthing the mall Santas, power-shopping to express love, and maniacal carolling to promote unity, people get testy.

There is a difference in perceptions of reality between the Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy (non-religious, obviously) and the other imaginary characters that kids are exposed to. Nobody has to let kids off the hook that the other characters aren't real. It breaks my heart that adults think lying to kids is fun, and just fantasy. I remember how I felt, and I remember my brother's face when he was told. It makes me sick to my stomach. That's not fun and fantasy.

Splat's approach suits me better, and that's probably how my husband will handle it. I can't seem to get over the bad taste in my mouth.
My baggage, and I'll find someplace to dump it.

I wish it wasn't such a bad thing to object to a tradition like the December holidays and be perceived as a grump and an undesirable. Why is it wrong to be consistent?

Jamie_L

Amazon,

I'm with you on the Santa thing. I'm sure it's harmless and all, but every day I feel the powerful faith in me that my kids have, and it would just rub me the wrong way to exploit that faith without good reason.

Oddly enough, my wife has memories of her discovery of the truth about Santa and the Easter Bunny. It was apparently quite upsetting for her. That seems to be an exception rather than the norm (I think her mom went to great lengths to build and perpetuate the stories), but it has created quite a conviction on her part that I wouldn't have expected (she's not nearly the rationalist that I am).

Jamie