Poll of the Day > When did you stop...

(+) Yeah! (+)

Believing in Santa Claus? If you ever did, that is.
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I never really stopped believing, it was more of a "yay, my dad is the best Santa" and gradually melted out... cuz naturally I believe my dad exists >.<
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Fifth/sixth grade, I think. Mom had left the boxes for "Santa's gift" with a neighbor to keep us kids from finding out too early. Couple days after Christmas, the boxes were left on our back patio and we found them.

Like 12, but that was because my parents went out of there way to make me believe. A family friend called our house every year and pretended to be Santa. I never once caught my parents dropping off the presents. They did the whole eat part of the cookie and drink time milk. I swear I heard something slide off the roof and then heard a jingle in the Air when I went outside etc.
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If you ask my mum, we were 16 for some reason. I think my mum thinks we're dumb.
But I knew way before that. Maybe 10-12?

At the family gathering every Christmas Eve, I noticed that my uncle would be missing whenever santa showed up. "Had to go buy something at the store," is what we were always told.

It was still fun though and I just kept the info to myself. I like the magic of Christmas so I guess I still "believe" in a way.
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I was 8 or 9, I realized the presents from Santa and the presents from my dad were wrapped the same way and used the same tape.
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Never did actually, I mean I still had christmas spirit, I liked getting my picture taken with Santa and all the jazz, but basically my dad just asked me what I wanted for christmas so like, i knew it came from him.
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Santa isn't real?

probably around 5 or 6.

the logistics just aren't there.

and we didn't even have a fireplace.
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I think around 7 or 8.
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10ish
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11-12
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I dont remember

The whole idea of lying to kids about Santa has always made zero sense to me
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2nd grade-ish
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My parents have always told me there's no Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy etc. I don't think it took away from the holiday spirit as we did everything traditionally. I would have taken the same approach with my kids but the wife was very opposed to it.
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TheWorstPoster posted...

Santa isn't real?

Sorry, @TheWorstPoster. I guess that means today for you?

darcandkharg31 posted...

Never did actually, I mean I still had christmas spirit, I liked getting my picture taken with Santa and all the jazz, but basically my dad just asked me what I wanted for christmas so like, i knew it came from him.

Kollin6618 posted...

My parents have always told me there's no Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy etc. I don't think it took away from the holiday spirit as we did everything traditionally. I would have taken the same approach with my kids but the wife was very opposed to it.

These kinda sound similar to me. I don't think they ever straight up said there's no Santa. But it was never like my younger siblings and I ever thought there was a Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. My mom did label certain gifts from Santa, but we always knew they were from her. She did like to keep the Christmas spirit. "Santa" used different wrapping paper and wrapping techniques. I just wanted to know of other people had sort of similar childhoods. I am glad to know that it seems like it's not too odd for something like that to happen.
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I dunno, probably when I was about 9, but I kept the charade going because it meant an extra present. Im not a fucking idiot thatd rather get less stuff solely for the sake of looking more grown up.
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I think 10.
I was looking for Easter eggs and apparently my mom kept our teeth in a jar?
I cried.
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Oh shit, he's not real?!

No idea. I first heard about him being fake before I was 10, though, so it's possible that soon.
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The mythical one or historical one?

Pretty young. Young enough that I don't actually remember when it happened.
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Probably around age 10 or so. It was when the 'Thank you for the cookies' note had my Dad's handwriting.
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I don't think they ever hid the truth about that. I do remember getting a talk once that the reason we don't get gifts was because we were poor. So if I believed before then, that straightened things out. I don't know how old I was at the time, I'd guess maybe 5-6.
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I never genuinely believed, but being a child it's fun to pretend.
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11ish, I think.
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yutterh posted...

Like 12, but that was because my parents went out of there way to make me believe. A family friend called our house every year and pretended to be Santa. I never once caught my parents dropping off the presents. They did the whole eat part of the cookie and drink time milk. I swear I heard something slide off the roof and then heard a jingle in the Air when I went outside etc.

@yutterh

Is that something you now appreciate?

Never believed. My family was pretty poor growing up so I only ever got one small gift for Christmas, and it was from my parents, not Santa. I remember accidentally ruining Santa for my first grade class because I thought it was dumb anyone really believed in him instead of him just being a character for the holiday like the Easter Bunny <.<
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I find it really hard to believe any 10 year old, much less 12, could seriously still believe that the whole santa claus, and everything that's tied to that, is real

Wouldn't a kid that age be constantly told that it's not real, not to mention all the ridicule that would bring?

LinkPizza posted...

Believing in Santa Claus? If you ever did, that is.

Probably around the age of 10 I started clocking on that it was my dad and his then partner putting stuff under the tree. They tried to keep up the pretence but eventually gave up. I didn't ruin it for other kids though.

Mead posted...

The whole idea of lying to kids about Santa has always made zero sense to me

To be fair if you were honest with kids about everything they wouldn't even have a childhood and probably end up depressed at a young age. Sure it makes no sense to lie about Santa but I certainly would just so said kids can experience the magic of Christmas as most of the other kids do.
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10 or 11. I played along with my brother (8 years younger than me) believing for a few years after that.
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I think I was nine years old.
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green dragon posted...

yutterh posted...

Like 12, but that was because my parents went out of there way to make me believe. A family friend called our house every year and pretended to be Santa. I never once caught my parents dropping off the presents. They did the whole eat part of the cookie and drink time milk. I swear I heard something slide off the roof and then heard a jingle in the Air when I went outside etc.

@yutterh

Is that something you now appreciate?

Well I believed in santa so much that once i realized he wasn't real. I actually cried >_> So it's kind of a mixed back. but holy shit did my parents go the extra mile compared to others. So i appreciate it and i don't at the same time lol
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