Who found it difficult to believe in Father Christmas as a child?

[Crazy Cricket]

My reply to this thread brought back a childhood memory of my questioning of Saint Nick.

It's the usual story of a child not getting to sleep on X Mass eve, and being told by a his mother that if he didn't get to sleep like a good boy Father Christmas not coming down the chimney with his presents.

However, given that I was the child in question, my natural cynicism showed:

"But he can't come down the chimney, there's a gas fire in the way"

"Well he comes through the front door in our case"

"The front door can't be unlocked from the outside though"

"I meant the back door"

"But he would have to get over the bolted gate, that would wake me up"

"HE JUST COMES OK, GIVEN THAT HE HAS FLYING REINDEER GETTING INTO A HOUSE IS NO BOTHER"

At which point, I would give up out of fright more than anything else

This long dead memory kinda explains how I ended up such a twisted bitter cynic in later life!

[Kezzer]

I was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness so i didn't find it hard to believe in Santa Clause no, i actually was taught not to believe in him at all. I guess that might have been a better way to be brought up.

[Skeps]

I still do beleive in Santa

[Rythmic]

Well I personnally couldn't understand why on one night a year, my family would let it a complete stranger into the house, and even leave out food for him. Besides which my Dad was terrible at creeping around...

If you want to be cynical - remember that Santa Claus was thin and wore green before Coke got their hands on him.

[Blub2k]

Originally a Dutch tradition.
I never really believed in him, it was hard to be brought up by an engineer father who was normally rational and good at explanations, he found it hard to explain something that ridiculous. In Germany it is even harder, he comes during the Christmas dinner in the middle of the day, that has to be a bitch to hide

Sinter Klaas
Here is an article on the man himself:
http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/13R2.html

[Trash Man]

YOU MEAN HE'S NOT REAL????? YOU B*****DS

Joking aside, I never had any problems believing in Santa when I was younger. My parents made it very believable and my parents have an open fire in their house so I never really questioned it at all.

I think it was about when I reached my 8th or 9th Christmas that my parents told me that he was not real, the reason they said they told me was so that I did not go to "big" school and get the micky taken out of me for believing in Santa.

[Emzay]

Nopes - I found it very easy for some reason, only time I ever got suspicious was when I was about 5:

Emz: 'How come Santa has the same wrapping paper as us?'

>Parents look at eachother in a 'erm.. don't spill the beans!' manner<

Dad: There's lots of wrapping paper in the world love, it's just coincidence he has the same as us!

Emz: Oh alright then, I thought he was stealing it!

Mum: No! Santa never steals >looks at dad< .. does he?

- however when my dad sat me down aged 8 and told me, I cried for an hour! He started with 'I have some bad news' and I thought some1 had died! Then I found out it was ten times worse! *sniff*

[Kezzer]

lmfao, personally i don't think parents should do things like that to their kids. It's just wrong, lying to them for their whole childhood, it's not right.

[Knoxville]

I don't know how parents expect children to trust them at all tbh, they weave a tapestry of lies for kids, the easter bunny, santa, the tooth fairy.

I don't think i ever really believed but then i've been out to prove my parents wrong since birth really

[Kezzer]

So i was brought up in a false religion that actually did the right thing. Ironic.

[Blub2k]

He started with 'I have some bad news' and I thought some1 had died! Then I found out it was ten times worse! *sniff*

Well for you he did die that day but that is growing up and it is a real bitch sometimes

[shiato storm]

i have an image of that guy in that Elf movie that was on last xmas...i never saw it but the ads made me chuckle...
doubt many full grown men still believe in Mr C any more

[steve threlfall]

i have an image of that guy in that Elf movie that was on last xmas...i never saw it but the ads made me chuckle...
doubt many full grown men still believe in Mr C any more

Elf

That was a great christmas film. Very funny... maybe because im such a child

[Bunjiweb]

i found out he wasn't real when i was about 5, when i woke up when my parents were creeping in and out of my room lol.

I pretended to be a sleep and kept it schtum for a few more christmases, safe in the knowledge that i could go and find my presents before Christmas day lol...

Ben

[Butuz]

When i was young i found out the truth. I couldnt keep it myself so i took the girl next door who was a year younger behind my garage and told her the truth. She ran off home crying, and i got into real big trouble.

Damn you fake santa, you got me grounded

Butuz

[Devilbod]

I pretended to be a sleep and kept it schtum for a few more christmases, safe in the knowledge that i could go and find my presents before Christmas day lol...

Same here, figured it out and then spent most Christmas's figuring out where my Mum was going to hide the presants .