Santa Claus

[Pogo]

Every year, I go through some version of this annoyance.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many adults are addicted to the idea of lying to children about Santa Claus being real. I'm bringing this up at the moment because I took my 6-year-old, Quinn, to the grocery store with me tonight. On the way out, he stopped to pet a dog that was being walked by his owner. The man inquired if Quinn was ready for Santa Claus to come in three days. Confused, Quinn looked up at him and said, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."

Now, up to that point, I could understand it. It was just a polite question, based on the undeniable fact that many, if not most, parents of 6-year-olds do perpetuate the Santa myth.

But then this man proceeded to argue with Quinn, saying, "Of course there's a Santa. He brings presents on Christmas." Now Quinn was really confused, and looked over at me, getting agitated. (You should understand that all of my children are quite sensitive to feeling that they're being lied to.) His response: "There's no Santa. Mom and Dad give presents."

Incredibly, this guy started to continue arguing with him. I stepped in, said, "You're right, honey, but a lot of kids do believe in Santa, and that's up to their parents. Tell the nice man and his dog Merry Christmas, and let's get home."

I mean, seriously. If the mother's standing right there and making no attempt to jump in and convince her kid that Santa exists, odds are that she's the one who gave him the straight scoop on the fat guy in the first place. So why in the holy hell would you argue with the kid and try to convince him of something you know is a lie, when HE obviously knows it, too?

My daughter is going through one of those extra-fun custody battles over my granddaughter. I was absolutely floored when one of her ex's big arguments to show that my daughter is a bad mother is that she told her daughter - who's 5 - that Santa wasn't real, and presents were actually given by family and friends. This wasn't exactly a newsflash, since this has been common knowledge in my granddaughter's life all along, but it came up because Dad and his new girlfriend were trying to convince her to buy into the whole thing, and she came to her mom for clarification and honest answers.

What really amazed me about his argument to the court, though, is that at least some of the child welfare people monitoring the case actually thought this was a sign of bad parenting. Excuse me, WHAT?! No wonder Arizona has kids being murdered by abusive parents and foster parents in job lots, if THIS is what gets their shorts in a twist.

Just another example of how completely ass-backwards nuts our society is, I guess.

The lack of imagination in children is destructive to their ability to their ability to reason on their own later in life.
Every kid hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time thinks she was a real person. Do you start the story by saying she is fictional? That would be cruel in my view.

If a 6 year old asks you point blank if Santa or Cinderella is real, you tell them the truth. Until then, kids need to use their imagination and expand their universe.

I don't think kids give a particular thought to whether fairy tale characters are "real", and that isn't the point of them anyway. They're parables involving characters who face challenges the child has faced or will face. I think the point is not the character, but the dynamics of what's going on in the story and the underlying faith of reassurance to the child, that the scary shit of the world can get worked out. I suspect the characters like Cinderella (or whoever) are merely regarded by the child as actors, for the point of the fable is not the character but the action and the story's resolution.

Santa's a different bag. Like the tooth fairy, the child has a personal interaction with the figure in tangible gifts (and in a shopping mall even direct experience), so in that case it IS all about the character.

After all, no parent ever has to sit down and explain that Cinderella was fictional.

 

[Weatherman2020]

Do you start every Disney movie with an explanation none of this is real?

 

[Weatherman2020]

Every year, I go through some version of this annoyance.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many adults are addicted to the idea of lying to children about Santa Claus being real. I'm bringing this up at the moment because I took my 6-year-old, Quinn, to the grocery store with me tonight. On the way out, he stopped to pet a dog that was being walked by his owner. The man inquired if Quinn was ready for Santa Claus to come in three days. Confused, Quinn looked up at him and said, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."

Now, up to that point, I could understand it. It was just a polite question, based on the undeniable fact that many, if not most, parents of 6-year-olds do perpetuate the Santa myth.

But then this man proceeded to argue with Quinn, saying, "Of course there's a Santa. He brings presents on Christmas." Now Quinn was really confused, and looked over at me, getting agitated. (You should understand that all of my children are quite sensitive to feeling that they're being lied to.) His response: "There's no Santa. Mom and Dad give presents."

Incredibly, this guy started to continue arguing with him. I stepped in, said, "You're right, honey, but a lot of kids do believe in Santa, and that's up to their parents. Tell the nice man and his dog Merry Christmas, and let's get home."

I mean, seriously. If the mother's standing right there and making no attempt to jump in and convince her kid that Santa exists, odds are that she's the one who gave him the straight scoop on the fat guy in the first place. So why in the holy hell would you argue with the kid and try to convince him of something you know is a lie, when HE obviously knows it, too?

My daughter is going through one of those extra-fun custody battles over my granddaughter. I was absolutely floored when one of her ex's big arguments to show that my daughter is a bad mother is that she told her daughter - who's 5 - that Santa wasn't real, and presents were actually given by family and friends. This wasn't exactly a newsflash, since this has been common knowledge in my granddaughter's life all along, but it came up because Dad and his new girlfriend were trying to convince her to buy into the whole thing, and she came to her mom for clarification and honest answers.

What really amazed me about his argument to the court, though, is that at least some of the child welfare people monitoring the case actually thought this was a sign of bad parenting. Excuse me, WHAT?! No wonder Arizona has kids being murdered by abusive parents and foster parents in job lots, if THIS is what gets their shorts in a twist.

Just another example of how completely ass-backwards nuts our society is, I guess.

The lack of imagination in children is destructive to their ability to their ability to reason on their own later in life.
Every kid hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time thinks she was a real person. Do you start the story by saying she is fictional? That would be cruel in my view.

If a 6 year old asks you point blank if Santa or Cinderella is real, you tell them the truth. Until then, kids need to use their imagination and expand their universe.

I don't think kids give a particular thought to whether fairy tale characters are "real", and that isn't the point of them anyway. They're parables involving characters who face challenges the child has faced or will face. I think the point is not the character, but the dynamics of what's going on in the story and the underlying faith of reassurance to the child, that the scary shit of the world can get worked out. I suspect the characters like Cinderella (or whoever) are merely regarded by the child as actors, for the point of the fable is not the character but the action and the story's resolution.

Santa's a different bag. Like the tooth fairy, the child has a personal interaction with the figure in tangible gifts (and in a shopping mall even direct experience), so in that case it IS all about the character.

After all, no parent ever has to sit down and explain that Cinderella was fictional.

You've never had a daughter I take it.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Do you start every Disney movie with an explanation none of this is real?

Again, are your kids not capable of figuring this stuff out on their own?

 

[Cecilie1200]

Every year, I go through some version of this annoyance.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many adults are addicted to the idea of lying to children about Santa Claus being real. I'm bringing this up at the moment because I took my 6-year-old, Quinn, to the grocery store with me tonight. On the way out, he stopped to pet a dog that was being walked by his owner. The man inquired if Quinn was ready for Santa Claus to come in three days. Confused, Quinn looked up at him and said, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."

Now, up to that point, I could understand it. It was just a polite question, based on the undeniable fact that many, if not most, parents of 6-year-olds do perpetuate the Santa myth.

But then this man proceeded to argue with Quinn, saying, "Of course there's a Santa. He brings presents on Christmas." Now Quinn was really confused, and looked over at me, getting agitated. (You should understand that all of my children are quite sensitive to feeling that they're being lied to.) His response: "There's no Santa. Mom and Dad give presents."

Incredibly, this guy started to continue arguing with him. I stepped in, said, "You're right, honey, but a lot of kids do believe in Santa, and that's up to their parents. Tell the nice man and his dog Merry Christmas, and let's get home."

I mean, seriously. If the mother's standing right there and making no attempt to jump in and convince her kid that Santa exists, odds are that she's the one who gave him the straight scoop on the fat guy in the first place. So why in the holy hell would you argue with the kid and try to convince him of something you know is a lie, when HE obviously knows it, too?

My daughter is going through one of those extra-fun custody battles over my granddaughter. I was absolutely floored when one of her ex's big arguments to show that my daughter is a bad mother is that she told her daughter - who's 5 - that Santa wasn't real, and presents were actually given by family and friends. This wasn't exactly a newsflash, since this has been common knowledge in my granddaughter's life all along, but it came up because Dad and his new girlfriend were trying to convince her to buy into the whole thing, and she came to her mom for clarification and honest answers.

What really amazed me about his argument to the court, though, is that at least some of the child welfare people monitoring the case actually thought this was a sign of bad parenting. Excuse me, WHAT?! No wonder Arizona has kids being murdered by abusive parents and foster parents in job lots, if THIS is what gets their shorts in a twist.

Just another example of how completely ass-backwards nuts our society is, I guess.

The lack of imagination in children is destructive to their ability to their ability to reason on their own later in life.
Every kid hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time thinks she was a real person. Do you start the story by saying she is fictional? That would be cruel in my view.

If a 6 year old asks you point blank if Santa or Cinderella is real, you tell them the truth. Until then, kids need to use their imagination and expand their universe.

I don't think kids give a particular thought to whether fairy tale characters are "real", and that isn't the point of them anyway. They're parables involving characters who face challenges the child has faced or will face. I think the point is not the character, but the dynamics of what's going on in the story and the underlying faith of reassurance to the child, that the scary shit of the world can get worked out. I suspect the characters like Cinderella (or whoever) are merely regarded by the child as actors, for the point of the fable is not the character but the action and the story's resolution.

Santa's a different bag. Like the tooth fairy, the child has a personal interaction with the figure in tangible gifts (and in a shopping mall even direct experience), so in that case it IS all about the character.

After all, no parent ever has to sit down and explain that Cinderella was fictional.

You've never had a daughter I take it.

I have one, and she's never had a problem telling reality from fiction. Maybe that's because I've never blurred that line by lying to her.

 

[Weatherman2020]

Children grow up too quick these days. Children should be allowed to be children.

 

[Weatherman2020]

And as far as your concern about Santa, my 80 year old mother just sent me a text to be sure to track Santa on the NORAD website tomorrow.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Children grow up too quick these days. Children should be allowed to be children.

You've kind of lost me on how childhood is, or should be, predicated on your parents selling you bullshit as truth.

I protect my kids' childhood by being a touchstone of trustworthiness and reliability, personally. My job is to teach them about the world and prepare them to deal with it, not to confuse them and wrap them in an insulation of glittery ignorance and gullibility.

 

[Cecilie1200]

And as far as your concern about Santa, my 80 year old mother just sent me a text to be sure to track Santa on the NORAD website tomorrow.

And that's supposed to address anything I've said how?

 

[ChrisL]

Well, I was a little disappointed when I found out but not devastated or anything. I think once kids get to be a certain age, then they start to figure it out. They've probably caught you doing things in the name of "Santa" by that time too. I understand that some people don't agree with the myth because they consider it like lying to the children, but I think it's all in fun for most people. It is a lot of fun when the kids still believe in Santa, for them and for the adults.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Well, I was a little disappointed when I found out but not devastated or anything. I think once kids get to be a certain age, then they start to figure it out. They've probably caught you doing things in the name of "Santa" by that time too. I understand that some people don't agree with the myth because they consider it like lying to the children, but I think it's all in fun for most people. It is a lot of fun when the kids still believe in Santa, for them and for the adults.

Of course they figure it out. And "fun" or not, it does leave them questioning in the back of their minds whether or not Mom and Dad are telling the truth THIS time, or a "fun", convenient lie.

Thing is, I don't want my kids to have to "figure out" the truth about something I told them, for whatever reason.

I genuinely believe that the fact that I still love and enjoy Christmas, with zero jaded cynicism about "commercialism" and what-have-you, is because the magic of the season was never predicated on believing something untrue, only to later be disillusioned.

 

[ChrisL]

I had severe behavioral issues as a child. So Santa was used as a tool to instill obedience. But I was never taught to worship him. My grandmother is a strict Christian, so she considered it sacrilegious to supplant the Almighty with a mythical Elven figure. Santa is/was more of concept and a myth rather than something to be believed. One year, I thought I'd be clever and ask for Santa's autograph. I scrawled it on a sheet of paper and set it near the cookies and milk. Not only were the cookies and milk gone, the paper was too.

I was 11 years old when my grandmother finally broke the news that Santa didn't exist, although I had some idea that Santa didn't exist anyway for quite some time, because one year, I got up too early and caught her putting down the presents under the tree, "you scared him off!" she said. But I didn't fall for it.

So, I don't care to inflict that on hapless children if I can help it. There is great debate in my church about Santa Claus going around in my church. Me personally? I believe now that Santa Claus is a false idol, and asking some to believe in him rather than in Christ would be asking them to break one of the Ten Commandments.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

Mark 9:42

I think Santa is a cute story, like reading your kids fairy tales at bedtime, but I would no sooner teach my children to believe in Santa than I would teach them that they can spin straw into gold.

Besides, as a practical matter, it simply wouldn't have been feasible. My daughter has always been incredibly oversensitive to people being dishonest with her. It was obvious very early on that she would have taken it as a serious betrayal and spent the rest of her life throwing it up in my face as proof that I couldn't be trusted. She has since confirmed that that is EXACTLY what she would have done.

When Nicholas - my older son - came along, he had a six-year-old sister who would have spilled the beans, so it never crossed my mind at all. He's told me it took him years to even realize Santa was a "thing" at all, and then only because it was mentioned in movies and TV shows.

Quinn, of course, has two adult siblings, so again, it wouldn't have been an option even if I'd wanted it to be.

Truthfulness and trustworthiness are big things in my family, though. My whole life, it never once occurred to me that anything my parents ever said to me was anything less than the absolute truth as they knew it, and I've worked very hard to be the same person to my kids. Now that two of them are adults, they'll allow for the possibility that I'm WRONG (although not even that very often), but they would stake their lives on my honesty.

I get attacked at least once every year for "denying my children the magic of Christmas". It's always been my opinion that I retained my love and enjoyment of the season into my forties, rather than becoming disillusioned, jaded, and cynical about the "commercialism of it all", precisely because the magic never depended on believing in folk myths for me.

You did what you thought was better for your children. My grandmother emphasized the true meaning of Christmas to me, the birth of Jesus Christ, even as she used the concept of Santa Claus to instill obedience.

I had a discussion about this with her last night. She said to me "there's nothing wrong with Santa Claus as long as you don't let him become greater than God. There's nothing wrong with giving gifts so long as you remember the ultimate gift Jesus gave on the cross. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is real reason why we celebrate the season."

This is just bizarre. I've never heard of anyone deifying Santa Claus.

And of course the reason we celebrate the season goes waaaaay before Jesus. It's an ancient simple (and practical) wonderment at the way the sun, crucial to human survival for thousands of years, would stop its "dying" (shortening days) and rise again three days later, heralding the return of warmer weather and Spring -- which meant ability to plant crops, which meant survival.

That's the whole reason we decorate with lights. Sympathetic magic to bring back the sunlight. Jesus is a cute story and all but it's entirely allegorical.

Besides the kids. The kids deify Santa, I think. Instead of praying, they write letters.

 

[TemplarKormac]

And of course the reason we celebrate the season goes waaaaay before Jesus. It's an ancient simple (and practical) wonderment at the way the sun, crucial to human survival for thousands of years, would stop its "dying" (shortening days) and rise again three days later, heralding the return of warmer weather and Spring -- which meant ability to plant crops, which meant survival.

That's the whole reason we decorate with lights. Sympathetic magic to bring back the sunlight. Jesus is a cute story and all but it's entirely allegorical.

Yes, yes, Saturnalia and all that.

But I've heard enough. Your intolerance of Christian practices is duly noted.

 

[koshergrl]

Every year, I go through some version of this annoyance.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many adults are addicted to the idea of lying to children about Santa Claus being real. I'm bringing this up at the moment because I took my 6-year-old, Quinn, to the grocery store with me tonight. On the way out, he stopped to pet a dog that was being walked by his owner. The man inquired if Quinn was ready for Santa Claus to come in three days. Confused, Quinn looked up at him and said, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."

Now, up to that point, I could understand it. It was just a polite question, based on the undeniable fact that many, if not most, parents of 6-year-olds do perpetuate the Santa myth.

But then this man proceeded to argue with Quinn, saying, "Of course there's a Santa. He brings presents on Christmas." Now Quinn was really confused, and looked over at me, getting agitated. (You should understand that all of my children are quite sensitive to feeling that they're being lied to.) His response: "There's no Santa. Mom and Dad give presents."

Incredibly, this guy started to continue arguing with him. I stepped in, said, "You're right, honey, but a lot of kids do believe in Santa, and that's up to their parents. Tell the nice man and his dog Merry Christmas, and let's get home."

I mean, seriously. If the mother's standing right there and making no attempt to jump in and convince her kid that Santa exists, odds are that she's the one who gave him the straight scoop on the fat guy in the first place. So why in the holy hell would you argue with the kid and try to convince him of something you know is a lie, when HE obviously knows it, too?

My daughter is going through one of those extra-fun custody battles over my granddaughter. I was absolutely floored when one of her ex's big arguments to show that my daughter is a bad mother is that she told her daughter - who's 5 - that Santa wasn't real, and presents were actually given by family and friends. This wasn't exactly a newsflash, since this has been common knowledge in my granddaughter's life all along, but it came up because Dad and his new girlfriend were trying to convince her to buy into the whole thing, and she came to her mom for clarification and honest answers.

What really amazed me about his argument to the court, though, is that at least some of the child welfare people monitoring the case actually thought this was a sign of bad parenting. Excuse me, WHAT?! No wonder Arizona has kids being murdered by abusive parents and foster parents in job lots, if THIS is what gets their shorts in a twist.

Just another example of how completely ass-backwards nuts our society is, I guess.

The lack of imagination in children is destructive to their ability to their ability to reason on their own later in life.
Every kid hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time thinks she was a real person. Do you start the story by saying she is fictional? That would be cruel in my view.

If a 6 year old asks you point blank if Santa or Cinderella is real, you tell them the truth. Until then, kids need to use their imagination and expand their universe.

Cinderella isn't real....but Little Red Riding Hood is!!

Talking wolves?

He's a metaphor for a Bad Man. Hansel and Gretel is real too!! I believe I believe!!!

 

[koshergrl]

Different ppl have different family culture. I think Cecilie sounds like a fun mom because she's super engaged and focused....but that's not to say everybody has to adopt her methods. You like your Santa, you can keep your Santa. I do think it's rather rude to try to force him on random passersby tho.

On the other hand, when my kids became aware there was no Santa and I was forced to actually admit it to them, I extracted a promise from them not to tell all the other kids they know...I'm no fool and anti santite parents can catch flak from pro santites.

 

[Iceweasel]

Every year, I go through some version of this annoyance.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why so many adults are addicted to the idea of lying to children about Santa Claus being real. I'm bringing this up at the moment because I took my 6-year-old, Quinn, to the grocery store with me tonight. On the way out, he stopped to pet a dog that was being walked by his owner. The man inquired if Quinn was ready for Santa Claus to come in three days. Confused, Quinn looked up at him and said, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."

Now, up to that point, I could understand it. It was just a polite question, based on the undeniable fact that many, if not most, parents of 6-year-olds do perpetuate the Santa myth.

But then this man proceeded to argue with Quinn, saying, "Of course there's a Santa. He brings presents on Christmas." Now Quinn was really confused, and looked over at me, getting agitated. (You should understand that all of my children are quite sensitive to feeling that they're being lied to.) His response: "There's no Santa. Mom and Dad give presents."

Incredibly, this guy started to continue arguing with him. I stepped in, said, "You're right, honey, but a lot of kids do believe in Santa, and that's up to their parents. Tell the nice man and his dog Merry Christmas, and let's get home."

I agree completely. BUT at that point you should have kicked the idiot in the nuts. I think it's harmful, kids learn early on that mom and dad lied to them all along and it likely sets a precedent in their minds to distrust what you say.

 

[strollingbones]

i told my son the truth rather early on......i got several angry phone calls from the parents of the other kids on his school bus seems he busted out and told them all....right down to the wee first graders......i got a lot of sarcastic merry fucking christmas that year.....

 

[Iceweasel]

The lack of imagination in children is destructive to their ability to their ability to reason on their own later in life.
Every kid hearing the story of Cinderella for the first time thinks she was a real person. Do you start the story by saying she is fictional? That would be cruel in my view.

If a 6 year old asks you point blank if Santa or Cinderella is real, you tell them the truth. Until then, kids need to use their imagination and expand their universe.

Ussing your imagination and being lied to is two different things. Nobody teaches their kids that Cinderella is real.

 

[Pogo]

And of course the reason we celebrate the season goes waaaaay before Jesus. It's an ancient simple (and practical) wonderment at the way the sun, crucial to human survival for thousands of years, would stop its "dying" (shortening days) and rise again three days later, heralding the return of warmer weather and Spring -- which meant ability to plant crops, which meant survival.

That's the whole reason we decorate with lights. Sympathetic magic to bring back the sunlight. Jesus is a cute story and all but it's entirely allegorical.

Yes, yes, Saturnalia and all that.

But I've heard enough. Your intolerance of Christian practices is duly noted.

Has absolutely nothing to do with "intolerance" (and feel free to demonstrate how it does) --- it has simply to do with an eye for history and anthropology and a desire to know where things actually come from.

 

[Pogo]

I had severe behavioral issues as a child. So Santa was used as a tool to instill obedience. But I was never taught to worship him. My grandmother is a strict Christian, so she considered it sacrilegious to supplant the Almighty with a mythical Elven figure. Santa is/was more of concept and a myth rather than something to be believed. One year, I thought I'd be clever and ask for Santa's autograph. I scrawled it on a sheet of paper and set it near the cookies and milk. Not only were the cookies and milk gone, the paper was too.

I was 11 years old when my grandmother finally broke the news that Santa didn't exist, although I had some idea that Santa didn't exist anyway for quite some time, because one year, I got up too early and caught her putting down the presents under the tree, "you scared him off!" she said. But I didn't fall for it.

So, I don't care to inflict that on hapless children if I can help it. There is great debate in my church about Santa Claus going around in my church. Me personally? I believe now that Santa Claus is a false idol, and asking some to believe in him rather than in Christ would be asking them to break one of the Ten Commandments.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

Mark 9:42

I think Santa is a cute story, like reading your kids fairy tales at bedtime, but I would no sooner teach my children to believe in Santa than I would teach them that they can spin straw into gold.

Besides, as a practical matter, it simply wouldn't have been feasible. My daughter has always been incredibly oversensitive to people being dishonest with her. It was obvious very early on that she would have taken it as a serious betrayal and spent the rest of her life throwing it up in my face as proof that I couldn't be trusted. She has since confirmed that that is EXACTLY what she would have done.

When Nicholas - my older son - came along, he had a six-year-old sister who would have spilled the beans, so it never crossed my mind at all. He's told me it took him years to even realize Santa was a "thing" at all, and then only because it was mentioned in movies and TV shows.

Quinn, of course, has two adult siblings, so again, it wouldn't have been an option even if I'd wanted it to be.

Truthfulness and trustworthiness are big things in my family, though. My whole life, it never once occurred to me that anything my parents ever said to me was anything less than the absolute truth as they knew it, and I've worked very hard to be the same person to my kids. Now that two of them are adults, they'll allow for the possibility that I'm WRONG (although not even that very often), but they would stake their lives on my honesty.

I get attacked at least once every year for "denying my children the magic of Christmas". It's always been my opinion that I retained my love and enjoyment of the season into my forties, rather than becoming disillusioned, jaded, and cynical about the "commercialism of it all", precisely because the magic never depended on believing in folk myths for me.

You did what you thought was better for your children. My grandmother emphasized the true meaning of Christmas to me, the birth of Jesus Christ, even as she used the concept of Santa Claus to instill obedience.

I had a discussion about this with her last night. She said to me "there's nothing wrong with Santa Claus as long as you don't let him become greater than God. There's nothing wrong with giving gifts so long as you remember the ultimate gift Jesus gave on the cross. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is real reason why we celebrate the season."

This is just bizarre. I've never heard of anyone deifying Santa Claus.

And of course the reason we celebrate the season goes waaaaay before Jesus. It's an ancient simple (and practical) wonderment at the way the sun, crucial to human survival for thousands of years, would stop its "dying" (shortening days) and rise again three days later, heralding the return of warmer weather and Spring -- which meant ability to plant crops, which meant survival.

That's the whole reason we decorate with lights. Sympathetic magic to bring back the sunlight. Jesus is a cute story and all but it's entirely allegorical.

Besides the kids. The kids deify Santa, I think. Instead of praying, they write letters.

Sorry, I've never heard of anyone, anywhere, any time, treating Santa Claus as a "god". That is what deify means. Appealing to a sugar daddy for goodies is not the same thing as worship of a creator.

If that were the case any employer would have to be considered a "god" as well.