I've never really understood the obsession we have with believing in Santa. Personally, I don't really remember a time when I believed in Santa, though I'm sure at some point I did. No, my parents didn't spoil the idea for me. But on the other hand, they didn't exactly work hard to keep up the ruse. Once I became conscious of the planet's size, they didn't try to convince me of the existence of sleighs with warp drive or million-strong teams of elf assistants.
And that's the thing I don't understand. There are lots of instances were we make up something to defend kids from the complexities or evils of the world. It's the insistence that kids maintain that belief even though they've long outgrown the need for them. Maybe we're afraid of our kids growing up and Santa is a way of hanging on to their innocence. But normally we celebrate the milestones of a child's maturity. I know, compared to walking and talking, accuiring the brains to understand the aerodynamic limitations of reindeer doesn't seem like much. But it is progress, and normally parents aren't exactly shy about trumpeting their child's accomplishments.
Some make the point that it's important to believe or imagine. Believing in something is a big part of most religious beliefs. Is Santa a sort of introduction to religion? (No one mention this line of thinking to Richard Dawkins or we'll never hear the end of it.) As for for the idea that Santa belief is important for imagination, I have to ask, is lack of imagination really that big a problem in our society? Wait, before you answer, go take a look at the folks camping-out to be first on line for The Hobbit and then get back to me.
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