Santa or No Santa?

[Granny]

The Christmas traditions of many countries have contributed to today's Christmas celebrations. I don't see any harm in letting children believe in Santa Claus - it's a relatively harmless fantasy considering some of the things people believe in today.

 

[Samson]

The Christmas traditions of many countries have contributed to today's Christmas celebrations. I don't see any harm in letting children believe in Santa Claus - it's a relatively harmless fantasy considering some of the things people believe in today.

Of course, my fantasies changed a lot when I became an adult.

 

[Anguille]

If you say Saint Nicolas over and over really fast, it becomes Santa Claus.


Saint Nicolas
Saintnicolas
Saintniclas
Santniclas
Santiclas
Santiclaus
Santaclaus
Santa Claus

I suppose, but I suspect the name change comes more from the Dutch translation. "Klaus" is the Dutch form of the name "Nicholas", and much of our modern American representation of Santa Claus comes from a desire of descendants of Dutch immigrants to re-identify with their roots, and a variety of writers, poets, and artists adding their own interpretations.

That works too...that is if you trust the Dutch!

Anyone who builds their country below sea level hasn't got much common sense.

Or whose Santa's elves are incredibly politically incorrect.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Here's my take on it all . . . . kids have unbelievable imaginations and for the few years that they are old enough to get it and young enough to believe . . . what's the harm? I know of no one who believed in Santa and when they found out he wasn't real, it hurt them in anyway. But mostly? It's fun. They only get to be a kid once. Let them have some years using that imagination wondering what Santa will bring, let them enjoy the magic if of it all, let them be good for a few weeks because Santa is watching . . . . it all goes by mighty fast and before you know it they're all grown up. Or teenagers.

 

[xotoxi]

Anyone who builds their country below sea level hasn't got much common sense.

Seems to have worked, though, because they're still there and you don't see THEM having a "New Orleans during Katrina" moment.

Sometimes, the most sensible thing you can do is stake out a piece of land no one else wants, because then no one's likely to come kill you for it.

The Dutch seem to have done better than New Orleans or Bangladesh...mainly because they are well protected from severe storms by the good people of the British Isles (and the islands on which they live).

 

[Anguille]

Anyone who builds their country below sea level hasn't got much common sense.

Seems to have worked, though, because they're still there and you don't see THEM having a "New Orleans during Katrina" moment.

Sometimes, the most sensible thing you can do is stake out a piece of land no one else wants, because then no one's likely to come kill you for it.

The Dutch seem to have done better than New Orleans or Bangladesh...mainly because they are well protected from severe storms by the good people of the British Isles (and the islands on which they live).

You're giving no credit to the Delta Works system?

 

[Cecilie1200]

Seems to have worked, though, because they're still there and you don't see THEM having a "New Orleans during Katrina" moment.

Sometimes, the most sensible thing you can do is stake out a piece of land no one else wants, because then no one's likely to come kill you for it.

The Dutch seem to have done better than New Orleans or Bangladesh...mainly because they are well protected from severe storms by the good people of the British Isles (and the islands on which they live).

You're giving no credit to the Delta Works system?

I have no idea who that is. I'm just saying that you don't see the Netherlands having to be evacuated, despite their entire country being below seal level. Okay, fine, they don't get hurricanes, but still.

 

[Granny]

The Christmas traditions of many countries have contributed to today's Christmas celebrations. I don't see any harm in letting children believe in Santa Claus - it's a relatively harmless fantasy considering some of the things people believe in today.

Of course, my fantasies changed a lot when I became an adult.

This is why I love you so much! You're just too cute.

Actually, I was trying to be indirectly insulting - apparently it worked. I haven't heard any cries of "foul"!!

 

[Anguille]

The Dutch seem to have done better than New Orleans or Bangladesh...mainly because they are well protected from severe storms by the good people of the British Isles (and the islands on which they live).

You're giving no credit to the Delta Works system?

I have no idea who that is. I'm just saying that you don't see the Netherlands having to be evacuated, despite their entire country being below seal level. Okay, fine, they don't get hurricanes, but still.

Delta Works - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Constructed after the North Sea flooded in 1953, killing over 2500 people.

The worst flood killed something like 50,000 people in the 13th century.

Only a little over a quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level, not the entire country.

 

[Samson]

The Christmas traditions of many countries have contributed to today's Christmas celebrations. I don't see any harm in letting children believe in Santa Claus - it's a relatively harmless fantasy considering some of the things people believe in today.

Of course, my fantasies changed a lot when I became an adult.

This is why I love you so much! You're just too cute.

Actually, I was trying to be indirectly insulting - apparently it worked. I haven't heard any cries of "foul"!!

Have you read any other threads?

You don't need to worry about being insulting, directly or indirectly.

I'm not sure they know how to cry "foul" here....

 

[manu1959]

at my house....santa is cool.....he gets chocolate strawberries and a scotch neat......