A terrible, terrible thing has been done.

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All I have to say is 'remember what time of year it is.'

Now look at this.

South Africa Bans Santa Letters

Oh, and I wouldn't go there if young children are around, but not for the usual reasons.

 

I actually understand that - if the post office issues things like that then it should give what the children ask for. If the children are young enough to believe in santa like that then it means the parents would have to buy what's on the list to maintain the illusion.

In our family we were always told to leave the letters by the tree because Santa always knew what we wanted and the letters were just to make sure he'd got it right.

 

Awwww, thats nasty. Well I suppose they have a point. :/

My mam told me to send the list to santa I had to throw it on the fire. No wonder I never got what I wanted

 

That's just WRONG! I mean, if we get rid of Santa, who's next? The Easter Bunny? The Tooth Fairy? God? We aren't leaving our kids much magic in the world are we?

The magic and mystery of these beings was a huge part of my childhood and still is now. I mean, sure God is the only one of those I mentioned that I truly belive in but the others add to the enjoyment of having kids of your own.

 

Up here in the frozen north where you can practically walk the letters to him personally, (note: for all you future IOTWs out there, that was a joke) They have a system set up where they send the kids a form letter with the names of their siblings and family on it. Hey, when I was a kid, sure I thought it was odd that my letter looked and read exactly like my brothers' and sister's, but, "Hey", I thought, "the guy must get 50 thousand letters every day in December." Of course he'd have a system.

 

It does make sense though, seeing as it said nothing about "Santa" sending a letter back, it is a feasible solution. I heard about an address here in the U.S. that will send all the letters to a certain postmaster, who will, in turn, send a letter back. The parents are supposed to send a letter telling what on the list they are actually getting their child, that way the postmaster can tell the kid he won't be getting the presents he wanted because of some believable reason.

I.E. <Little Johnny> Dear Santa, I want a T-rex for Christmas. Love, Johnny.
<Santa> Ho Ho Ho Johnny, I would get you a T-rex (trust me, they're cool) but it wouldn't fit under the tree! And what kind of Christmas would that be if the T-rex got stuck in the Chimney?

(Maybe not like that but you get the idea...)

[ December 15, 2003, 20:07: Message edited by: dman18 ]

 

Wait...Santa isn't...he isn't real...?!?

 

I agree with what they have done because hope is a very fragile thing. If a child believes that his letter will be received by the "all magical Santa" who will in turn give him the gifts he truely wants, when he receives nothing what is he going to feel? Maybe that he has done something wrong and does not deserve the gift? Or maybe he will just feel forgotten because he is poor. In the least he may feel that there really is no Santa. So why encourage disappointment?

The families that can afford to give their children gifts from "Santa" will always find a way to make sure that he gets their letters. The families that cannot fulfill the illusion of Santa will find other ways of showing their families how they love them.

 

Christmas was spoiled for me after I was told Father Christmas wasn't real. Now I have a child myself I'll do the best to make sure he believes he is

 

It makes sense... but if the children are going to be disillusioned by not receiving the presents they request, then what if they can never contact Santa?

...It just seems that the government is taking it too seriously.

 

Sorry to bring your world crashing down Grey Magistrate, but he's not exactly real anymore.

Or is he???

 

At least this is a halt to commercialisation. I rather this than to keep lying to children, and the modern approach (including that such as sending the kids back fake letters and such) is deliberately misleading. The story of the original Saint Nicholas (and I assume that Kris Kringle was another such historical figure, but I can't say so for sure) is inspiring, as are the other folk-tales and pagan and christian religious teachings and traditions with which these figures were amalgamated, all are filled with meaning, and can be just as good for kids as any folk-story or fairy-tale can be (or as they used to be), but I don't think the modern twisted view of Santa Claus or Father Christmas holds any such value or worth, and is given to kids with a totally different approach than it was even a hundred, or a couple of hundred, years ago. Is this what we want to be doing?

I could go in depth of why I feel this way but I don't want to offend anyone or interfere about how they raise their children, as this is not really a matter of such heavy consequence as I would warrant to tell someone I think they are doing the wrong thing, as are some situations, just my opinion is all. Best wishes to you all.

 

Actually, I'll make sure my kids know Santa is made up, and I'd never tell 'em otherwise. Kids are confused enough these days - why make them suspect that their parents tell other well-meaning lies?

That said, they'll also have to watch Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street quite a few times...

 

Children should be taught how to imagine - it is necessary. It's also necessary to discover that the things you believed as a child aren't all true. I believe a belief in Santa develops imagination, wonder, and critical thinking skills. It teaches that two things may be true at once, and that physical reality isn't necessarily the only reality. It's a wonderful part of childhood. Do you know anyone who was hurt because they believed in Santa? Do you know anyone who was really upset with the slow knowledge that he didn't really exist, except in the wondrous world of the imagination?

I hope my children will believe in Santa Clause, fairies, dragons, and magic all their lives, as I do. Not in the tangible sense, of course. But there are other realities besides the already wonderful one of the physical world.

 

I completely agree with Neriana. Whether you agree that they should be told or not, you have to agree that they need to believe in something.

Santa Clause, St. Nick, Pierre Noel, Kris Kringle, whatever you call him, he represents the Christmas spirit. Children aren't equipped to deal with the non-physical world. So there is Father Christmas to be that spirit.

To take that away when kids are young is to take away their belief in the Christmas spirit.

Whether it is legal to pose as Santa and accept mail, well that is easy to answer. IT IS CHRISTMAS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. GO BE A GRINCH IN PRIVATE, BUT LEAVE SANTA ALONE!!!

 

Are we forgetting the point here? This is not about taking Christmas away from the poor children in South Africa, it is about taking away one of the factors that can cause some children extreme disappointment.

It's all nice and good to say that all children should believe in fairies and dragons and Santa Claus but how important is it for these children to live in a fantasy world when they have to fight just to survive? Fantasy is for those people who can afford it. Is it right that some small child who is in a life and death situation should forget about trying to save himself because someone has told him that his 'fairy godmother' will take care of everything?

The people who have said that Santa should be encouraged for every child to believe, have probably gotten gifts from Santa when they were little. They have probably not experienced such a poor life that even socks and shoes are considered a luxury and they have probably never had to break the heart of a very young child by telling them they can't have a gift from Santa because their family is too poor.

 

Well said Dragonfly.

The point I was trying to say is that 'Santa' is not representative of anything worthwhile in the way it is presented, nor is it any longer based in the fact it once was. I fail to see how this is vital to 'christmas spirit' or anything else. Also I don't understand what is meant by believeing in something but not in the tangible sense. Intangible to us is still tangible to itself.

If you want to spend all your time with presents that's fine, but remember that even giving a gift is materialism, as it supposes ownership, and in the western world the idea of Santa does little else than enforce commercialism. As Dragonfly said, you tell all the kids about Santa and soon the rich kids get presents no matter how they act and the poor kids get nothing. You can understand that your parents are poor but a child is going to feel unloved if they are told that the presents from 'Santa' are the means of recognition of how intrinsically good you are.

The fact is, you are lying to children, you're not telling them a story, you are lying, and whatever good you think is being done could be done in a far better way without all the negative associated aspects of this.

Perhaps if we all removed the Santa Claus crutch that everyone is leaning on they would develop such 'christmas spirit' within themselves.

[ December 18, 2003, 09:41: Message edited by: Manus ]

 

Oh, for the love of God! Remove Santa? Tell all the little children in the world that he doesn't exist? That is crazy! I hate to repaet myself but IT IS CHRISTMAS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. LEAVE SANTA ALONE!!!

@Dragonfly

What are you taliking about? What 'extreme disapointment'? Kids don't write into Santa to get everything on their list, not even in the UK or the USA. They don't expect that, so there is no big disappointment when they don't get what they asked for. Most of the times, kids are happy to write to Santa just to get a response from the jolly old elf.

Now that is just plain codswallop. Fantasy is for everyone. It is one of the things that can be had by everyone. That is what makes it great. Wheter rich or poor, you can have everthing, even if it just in your head. One of the joys of being young.

@Manus

No. Just no man.

I mean, come on. It is Santa Clause. Not just a marketing figure head. I believe he is still the embodiment of the Christmas spirit.

It all depends on how you are raised to believe in Santa. It is true that most believe that Santa brings nothing but gifts. But why not love, or happiness. Santa can be many things, but he will never, ever be a crutch.

To say so is, well, Christmas blasphemy. Enjoy the coal.

 

Oh I will enjoy my coal, every bit of it.

The embodiment of the christmas spirit is humanity, we are that spirit, and to limit it to one day or one figure is preposterous.

It is a crutch, because you like it so much- anything you use like this, anything which takes away from something either of itself, or in you, is a crutch.

Forget about Santa, forget about the ridiculous notion which Christmas has become (which is a loss, as I said before, I felt that both these things once held value, they have become, I can only say cheap and taudry), and do those things every day. Spend your whole life thinking goodwill, spend your whole life thinking what you can give or do instead of take, spend your whole life in the pursuit of fantasy, not just once a year in an act in contradiction to the moral principles you are purporting to uphold.

And on that other point, yes, happiness, love, surreality, these things can belong to everyone. But presents can't. Just because you can always afford it doesn't mean everyone can, nor that it is better of you to do so. It is just money, it holds no worth except in what is attained from it, and even then, most of those things hold next to no worth in themselves either. Did you ever think what harm you do by working your job? What the consequences of your actions are? I doubt it, or you would not be saying such things. There are far reaching implications of every thought, every action which we take. Nothing is so insignifigant as to not be worth considering.

Edit: Twice I have toned this down. Normally I would not respond in such a manner.

Forgive me if I have insulted you, but you should value the things you say 'Santa' represents, not Santa himself.

[ December 18, 2003, 16:54: Message edited by: Manus ]

 

@Manus

I appreciate your efforts to tone down, as I have done the same.

I feel that with nature of human kind it is easier to focus most of the general spirit into one physical entity and day. This doesn't mean that we forget about it the rest of the year. Christmas is just a reminder, a day when we all can be at our best, and in sync.

This may sound corny, but the world needs Santa. And so do all of those kids. If not to hold goodwill, then just to remind of it.