How did you find out about Santa Claus?

Wait… Santa isn’t real?

5] At what age did you stop believing in Santa Claus? Did you have a rude awakening or just grow up?

Just kidding. I eventually figured it out.

My sister had told me a bunch of times that there was no Santa. Or tooth fairy, or whatever other fun little lies we were told as kids. I didn’t believe her. This was, after all, the same girl who told me I was adopted and chased me around the house with a pair of scissors. I had reason to believe she was lying. She didn’t catch me by the way, and it was mostly an isolated incident. We had fun too :)

Thinking back, it’s possible my mom or dad asked her to lay it on me. Maybe I was getting a little old, I don’t remember.

It’s weird, because in any other situation, I didn’t believe in magic… Wait, did I? Maybe I did. I definitely wanted to be a witch at one point. But if you had actually told me something magical had happened in your real life, I wouldn’t have believed you. But for some reason, Santa was different. I was okay with him having magical elves and travelling the world in a flying sleigh, hitting every house in the world in a single night.

It didn’t help that we would make up theories to help support the lie… As the population grows, he uses more elves to help deliver the presents. But don’t worry, your house will get the real Santa. Other houses get the elves. Plus, not everybody celebrates Christmas, so that helps cut back the number of houses he needs to visit.

For some reason, I didn’t question the sleigh magic. I didn’t question Rudolph. Actually, his nose was a focal point of debate among the kids at school. Flying reindeer, no problem. But a glowing nose? Come on, now we’re getting ridiculous.

I don’t remember exactly how I old I was, but I remember the day I found out. Or rather, it finally dawned on me. I’m not sure why exactly.

I was in my room doing whatever I was doing, playing with toys or something while apparently contemplating. And I remember the next part so distinctly, because it was just so silly and perfect, and this memory is engrained in my mind.

I come down the stairs and my mom and dad are standing, talking in the kitchen. I interrupt their conversation. “Mom, dad, is Santa real? And the tooth fairy and all that other stuff… is all of that real or made up?”

I’m probably paraphrasing a little, it was a good 25 years ago. But I realized they were all connected. Either all of it was real, or none of it.

At the exact same time, my mom and dad both replied:

Mom: Yeah, of course it’s real Lita.

Dad: No.

And the look my mom gave my dad was priceless!!!! I couldn’t appreciate it at the time, but I think I can translate it in hindsight: This is something we talk about before telling our daughter!!!

Ever so sweet, my mom. But she had nothing to worry about. I was so excited for some reason to have learned this, as if I found out some sacred knowledge… Or power, since I could now demolish the other kids’ dreams at school if I wanted to. I didn’t though :p

I ran back up stairs, shouting to my sister, “Guess what, guess what! Santa Claus isn’t real! None of it is!”

“I know,” she says. “I’ve told you this like 100 times.”

Oh… I guess she wasn’t lying this time after all.

Have a beautiful day everybody!

𖤓Lita

Thanks for the prompt Adrian!

Adrian CDTPPW, Rampath, Anuj Sarita, Imothoughts, Irfan Farooq, Samshe Alam, Lisa Guard, Just Sam, A Shayens Abran, Eden Frost, Ashllyn T., Ruby Noir 😈, Kallol Mazumdar, TzeLin Sam, Kashif Bashir, Ammara Hassan, Thomas Sturgeon Jr., Rudylee, S.a.n.a.h, saeed sobhani, Tori Hall Sudduth, Mike Grindle, Sarah, Shanti C K

Thanks friends! Let me know if you’d like to be added/removed from this list :) I will try to read all of your lovely work and perspectives often as well!