Picture this: you’re frolicking through a field of imagination, where snowflakes are sugar-dusted dreams, and every chimney echoes with the jingle of reindeer bells. It’s a place where reindeer can fly, bypassing the gritty reality of gravity. Here, wide-eyed wonderment is your only passport, and innocence is your local currency. This is the world your child revels in—a magical landscape painted with the vibrant hues of their imagination.
The “Santa Lie”. A term dripping with the bitter taste of adult cynicism, of rationality stepping on the sparkling trail of childlike awe. It’s an intrusion, a hand rudely shaking us awake from a lovely dream. But I ask: Is it foolish to let your kids taste the sweet nectar of innocence while they still can?
I don’t think so. Let them marinate in the magic. Let their minds roam free, untamed by the facts and figures that we, as adults, are so tied down by. After all, they will find their way to the truth. Like most of us did. A gradual realization, a gentle unwrapping of reality. Not a sudden shock, but a soft whisper of understanding.
So here’s a shout-out to all the parents. Loosen the ties of reality, and let the innocent charm of the Santa Lie breathe. Let it unfurl in their hearts, shaping their dreams, and peppering their childhood with a dash of innocent, joyous magic.
Because in the end, the truth about Santa isn’t a lie to be exposed, but a rite of passage to be experienced.
Update: December, 2018
Just following up with more on this topic.
Contrary to the norm, I’ve never perched on the edge of my children’s beds and whispered into their eager ears that Santa is real. Instead, when they approach me, their tiny hearts throbbing with the thrill of the Santa story, I echo their question back to them.
“What do you think?” I ask.
This isn’t a game of hide-and-seek with the truth—but rather an invitation to them to explore, to question, and to embrace (or abandon) the magic that is Santa. In a world that delivers instant answers to our handheld supercomputers—I believe it’s crucial for them to dance with doubt, to twirl with wonder, and to let their minds choreograph their own beliefs.
Because Santa, after all, isn’t just a tale—it’s an enigma wrapped in tinsel and tied with a bow of childhood curiosity.
