father christmas

When I was a kid, we didn't have a chimney, I forget how we decided Santa came (the front door?) One year, while my dad and I were out getting Arby's- our traditional Christmas Even dinner (now replaced by pizza courtesy of Ninja Turtle loving brothers...) I saw a blinking red light in the sky. It dodged and weaved and did NOT fly like an airplane. I pointed it out to Dad and we both decided it was Rudolph's nose. To my amazement, when we got home, all my presents were out! Santa had come early that year. I believed for a very long time after that.

the_only_nighthawk

I used to believe that my father was going to build a fire in the fireplace and burn Santas' butt when he came down the chimney.So I stayed up all night to make sure he wouldn't build the fire

psuiter,nc

I wasn't brought up to believe in Santa Claus, but I guess the belief was there, anyway. Until I was around 6 years old, when I saw him dead on the evening news. I can't recall how he died. I just remember some men carrying the body somewhere.

Ray in California

I've truly believed in Santa Clause until I was about 10 or 11. Being 16 years
old now, I know that he can't be real. Although, logically, I know he doesn't exsist,
I still listen for jingle bells of his sleigh and the red glow of Rudolph's nose on
Christmas Eve.

Valerie

I was 5 yrs. old and living with my aunt and uncle in the little hotel they owned. I had a little toy red piano. At night, a few days before Christmas, I would sit in the middle of the living room floor banging on it singing,"Jingle Bells". They turned the lights off, with only the tree lights glowing,and sat in their rockers watching me stare at the big window while banging on the piano, waiting for Santa to look in to see if I was being a good girl. Unbeknownst to me, my uncle had rigged a wire behind his chair running all the way to the outside of the window. There was a big cowbell attached to it. During my performance for Santa, my uncle would reach behind his chair and pull the wire, ringing the bell! I would fly terrified into my aunts lap screaming, "I've been good, Santa! I've been good!" On Christmas morning they would put a little dirt on the window sill to indicate that Santa had indeed come through the window to deliver my presents. That was 58 yrs. ago and I love them for being so involved in my life and providing me with such good memories.

Smockey (my nickname given me by my Polish uncle)

When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I began to question whether there really was a Santa. Honestly - how could one man deliver presents to every child in the world in a single night? Then my teacher taught my class about time zones and now it made sense. He really had 24 hours to deliver all the toys and that was easily possible.

Emily

When we were kids my sister and I used to leave a mince pie and a glass of milk next to the tree for Santa. As we got older it became a mince pie and a beer .... I wonder if my dad had anything to do with that.

Michelle

When I was about 2 or 3 I went to see The Nightmare Before Christmas, and from then on I thought Jack the Pumpkin King was really Santa, and that he liked me so much he gave me nice presents instead of scary ones.

Emily S.

At Christmas I belived for many years that my dad was just unlucky to be out every time Santa arrived....of course it was him all dressed up, but I wouldnt recognice him.

Tone

I used to believe in Santa until I was eleven and a half - then I just figured it out!

Erin Jones

At Christmas time, during special programs intended for children, I used to look behind the radio to see if Santa Claus and his elves were perhaps hiding there.

Anon

My mom would tell my brother, sister and I that the way to mail a Christmas wish list to Santa was to leave it in the corner of the front living room window. At night elves would come and pick up the letter to give to Santa. Our letters were delivered every year! Those "Santa elves" sure were reliable!

Laura

i used to believe that santa clause was really real.When my mom finally told me that it was a myth when I was like 15 years old,I was totally devistated still to this day I believe in santa clause.

Anon

It was only two years ago (at age 18!) that I finally understood that in the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" the father had dressed up as Santa Claus and 'mommy' was kissing her husband. It had always perplexed me as to why mommy would want to kiss Santa Claus. I still feel pretty dim whenever I hear that song.

MJC

My family lived in the midwest and we went to church on Christmas eve about 6 and when we returned around 7, Santa Claus had been there and presents were under the tree where none had been. My parents pointed out that Santa had the entire world to visit (including the Southern Hemisphere) in just one night and we were early on his schedule which explained why some people did not get their presents until Christmas morning, like those who lived in Dallas or Miami. Supposedly, then, Canadians received their presents about 2 in the afternoon on Christmas eve. This belief was aided by the local weatherman who would announce Santa's departure from the North Pole on the 5:30 newscast.

Tom

When I was little my brother and I would leave out some food for Santa like a beer, some cheese, a cake, an apple and a turnip or carrot for the Reindeer.

When we awoke (usually around 4am!) we would find that all the food had been eaten and that the turnip had big Reindeer teeth marks in it! We were so excited that Santa had actualy been in our house with his Reindeer!

One Christmas I woke a little too early to find my Dad tucking into the beer and other bits whilst carving what looked like reindeer bite marks into the turnip with a crinkle-cut potato chopper!!!

What cruel deception!

Charlotte-Rose