OK, here’s the biggie … How do you feel about Santa Claus?

I am an only child, and I didn’t live near any of my cousins, so there were no older kids around to tell me about Santa. That may be why I remember being so terribly crushed when I “found out”. After much discussion, my DH and I decided that we would emphasize the birth of baby Jesus, and downplay the importance of Santa.

We never did any of the things many parents do, like putting out milk and cookies, and then taking a bite and drinking some of the milk, and our children always knew their presents came from us.

We did have a tree and stockings, but the main holiday “decoration” was always a Nativity scene. We even had a plastic set of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus that our children could play with, so they would leave the fancy set alone. I still have that set, all scratched and even colored on, and it’s one of my prized possessions, as it brings back many good memories.

Do you/did you encourage/discourage your child’s belief in Santa? Do you have any specific memories of how you felt as a child when you learned the real meaning of Santa? Does the Santa tradition conflict with your religious beliefs? Is how to celebrate the holidays a point of agreement or disagreement with your spouse?