Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy

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I think many of these things are simple concepts, told simply and can, used properly, instill good morals and ideals in children.

You should read the original Grimm versions then. You may change your mind.

The Grimm versions were warnings. They did serve their purpose in that environment and time period. But not all parables and tales are that dire.

Judging things from that long ago by today's standards and not putting them in context is really not going to work.

Take for instance the movie 'Braveheart'. Lauded William Wallace as a virtuous man by today's standards. But, he was actually just as brutal as his opponents going so far at to make a belt out of the skin of an enemy.

citation: BBC History, Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/a ... m_wallace/
"On 11th September Wallace and Murray achieved a stunning victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The English left with 5,000 dead on the field, including their despised treasurer, Hugh Cressingham, whose flayed skin was taken as a trophy of victory and to make a belt for Wallace's sword."

So, things like this are definitely relative.

No, but the meaning behind said stories are the same.

Otherwise, touche.

I generally count anything made by Hollywood to be a perversion. I used to talk to people about how Hollywood destroyed literature by their horrendous adaptations. I started on THAT particular crusade when I was 8-9? I was in my Jack London phase.

Last edited by Brittniejoy1983 on 17 Nov 2015, 1:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Which gets to the root of this:

The stories can still have good meanings and presented in different ways such as opposing belief systems and fairy tales and whatever people decide to call it.

The bunny is a slightly naughty symbol for Easter because it symbolizes sexual fertility. I don't care though.

The Easter Bunny was never mentioned in my house. I used to have to get dressed up and walk around the street on Easter, though.

I went to an Easter party at age 6, and won a bird named Oscar--he lived six years!

My mother is Jewish, but she didn't celebrate Passover back then. I went to my first seder (Passover dinner) when I was 12.

I never really felt deprived, if anything I actually looked down on other kids for believing in something so silly. I used to take great pride in persuading kids that Santa et al. couldn't possibly be real. I would think about it logically and conclude that it is simply impossible for someone to use reindeer to fly around the world in a single night and drop presents down everyone's non-existent chimneys. I believe that even if they hadn't mentioned it I still wouldn't have believed in it for very long, it's just like how I turned out an atheist.

My parents did suffer some backlash from my school (because I would go around 'spoiling' it for other kids) and from our extended family (who take Christmas, including Santa, really seriously), but only when I was very young, and it didn't faze them at all.

dressed up as in, formal? (why around the street?)

We are Homo Decepticus not Homo Sapien Sapien.

It is, in fact, psychological abuse to purposefully deceive a child leading to emotional hurt, confusion and the damaging of their ability to trust. Having said that, it is the norm. I share your disgust for the practice.

My mother explained to me at a very young age that none of those things actually existed. I got frustrated at other kids who believed in Santa and the like and would always try to explain that they didn't exist, usually to rather hostile reactions haha.

I loved believing in Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy as a kid and I don't remember ever being traumatized when I found out they were not real. And it neither dampened my spirit nor did it make me lose my ability to trust. It just got to a point where it just made sense that they were not real. But I still, even now, love the concept. I don't have any kids and I never will, but I still love the concept for myself. It still brings a bit of magic in for me even now and it makes me happy. I love Santa movies. I just watched one the other day and loved it. I think a part of me still has that innocent belief and I hold on to it.

A couple of years ago my brother gave me a really cool Christmas present. He bought me bindings for my skis. I remember how I felt when he told me that I had to give him my skis so that Santa could work on them. It was the same feeling that I felt when I was a little kid waiting to see what Santa had put under the tree even though I knew exactly what the gift was and whom would actually be working on them. But part of my mind also knew it was Santa and even though it was "Santa Brother" that little sweet touch of magic made the gift all that much more special.

But I respect that people feel different ways and whatever a parent wants to do in that regard with their kids, I respect it for them. But if I had kids, I would not want anyone spoiling that little bit of magic. Kids grow up so fast. I think these little bits of magical fun are actually healthy.

Last edited by skibum on 23 Nov 2015, 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yeah Kraftie, what's up with that? I have never heard of that tradition. Was it just you or was there a parade you were a part of? I don't get it. I am literally having a mental picture of you in a little suit just literally walking around the street by yourself. It's not making any sense to me. Please explain.

I went to Seder before. I went with some Jewish neighbors. I loved it. The food was really good and I loved the cantoring. (Is that the right word?) Their son did not go with them so even though I was an adult I was the youngest at the table so I got to find the prize. It was $5. It was a really fun night.

I was six when I became disillusioned with the fantasy characters of childhood.

I remember being very happy about Father Christmas being fake because I got to eat and drink the dandelion and burdock and mince pies that were left out for "him".

Inversely when it came to easter, I didn't get an egg that I didn't buy myself after I "found out."

I don't feel that I was harmed in any way by believing in these characters. I believed in Santa in particular longer than most people, or at least I had several years of questioning because even though other kids and even teachers would say stuff like, "when you were little and believed in Santa..." I wasn't sure if they were telling the truth or not. My parents would say Santa's real if I believe, so I wasn't sure if that meant he was real or not and that I'd better err on the side of believing. I wasn't completely positive Santa didn't exist until I was 10/11 years old and my mom finally told me straight when I asked.

I will admit that I had a harder time coming to terms with that fact that I wouldn't get a ton of presents anymore than the fact that Santa doesn't exist. My parents told me that now that I didn't believe in Santa, I would only get four or five presents at Christmas, and I spent days and days crying about that.

That said, I'm not sure if I would teach any kids I ever have about these characters. I probably would, but it's something I would have to think about. I know I wouldn't drag it out the way my parents did though. If they ask seriously, I would tell them the truth.

Last edited by Quill on 23 Nov 2015, 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.