(Katie Mahle) Pro:

When kids are asked about Christmas, most start to talk about Santa. Santa brings joy and excitement. It shines a light on the usually very stressful holiday. It is not until kids come to a certain age that they really start to question whether that joy is real or if it is all a hoax.

I believe that we should tell kids about Santa at a young age. Kids should be allowed to have that small moment in childhood where they are trying to stay up all night thinking they will be the first kid to catch santa claus, or placing cookies and milk out with a hand written note hoping to get a response. So many good memories derive from Santa and the feeling you get from Christmas.

As a kid, you are shielded from all of the stressfulness of the holiday: not knowing if you can afford a certain gift, bear the snow, and even get to work. So many factors make these magical holidays to kids a nightmare to adults. It is the moments when you see your kid happy and the joy on their face when they are making a list and slipping it into a pretty envelope to send off to Santa that truly makes the holidays. The joy radiating from every young soul on the street, the music, and the lights. It is like a fantasy to hide our messy habitat we call home.

No matter how much you agree with telling kids about Santa from early on, there is no denying that kids are far more happy believing in a little white lie than knowing their parents are the ones behind all of the great gifts and magical childhood. Even so, once the child does find out that their “parents were santa”, then they will be all the more grateful for giving them the sweet gifts and reminiscing on the memories they have from the years before.

(Lauryn Hometorwu) Con:

Santa is not a lie we should tell children, here is why. It completely diminishes the time, effort and money parents or guardians put into their gifts. It may also unlock a new fear for children of a big man randomly breaking into their house. Why do people need Santa to be happy around the holidays? When I found out Santa was not real, I was just curious as to why this myth was created in the first place. All those years spent believing in a fictional man for what? Nothing. 

As a child I was raised to believe in Santa, but I see no point. He is just a fictional character that brings presents. Santa is completely and utterly unnecessary to enjoy Christmas. Families do not need Santa to have fun and spend time together. Christmas is about spending time with family and friends. Santa is neither, so why even have him part of Christmas at all? Santa has been around for a very long time and yes, this may feed into our culture and how we grew up, but things change. Traditions do not always last forever. 

On the other hand I can see people saying he is for children: to bring joy and happiness. Are parents not enough? Children will get presents even if Santa is not the one bringing them. For example, on a birthday you receive gifts from family and friends all around. Birthdays are still magical and fun, even though a mythical person is not involved, therefore demonstrating you do not need to lie to children to make their holy season “greater”.

In the end, having Santa as a part of a child’s life does not make it better or worse. It is just an unnecessary addition to the holiday. People should be grateful to the real heroes of the story: the Parents. Parents and guardians warrant all the praise and admiration possible. They do all of this for their children and are the unnamed heroes.

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