I even now embed the feeling that Santa Claus exists in the subconscious of my children, because this is a fairy tale - a New Year's fairy tale. But we adults, and If now I write a letter saying that I want a big block of ice cream and put it under my pillow, like in childhood, I won’t have it under the Christmas tree. It’s just that the parents won’t take the envelope and won’t give the desired gift. I seemed to behave all good year and the elves were watching me. The main thing is to believe in a miracle and it will come. After all, when we made wishes in childhood, they came true, but now we make wishes for everyone’s health and they, the wishes, come true.
There are some things that only exist when you believe in them. Santa Claus exists for those who believe in them. But, in fact, there is no single Santa Claus. Someone always dresses up in it, there are a lot of Santa Clauses, and if you take off their makeup, they are ordinary people. There is no real Santa Claus, like many fairy-tale heroes and cartoon characters. As a child, I also believed in Cheburashka, but Cheburashka doesn’t exist, although it existed for me.
I want to believe that there is Santa Claus. otherwise there will be no fairy tales and fabulous gifts. I’m not a child, but still, before the clock strikes on the night of December 31 to January 1, it all seems like a miracle will happen. But it doesn't come. So, it’s not time yet, we have to wait.
The question of whether Santa Claus exists cannot have an answer, just like the question of whether God exists, since in both cases it is a question of faith. For example, there is a widespread belief that gods exist as long as they are believed in, and that in fact the first gods were created by man himself and endowed with their power by his faith. But Santa Claus must also exist, in whom millions of people believe and organize annual New Year's rituals with decorated Christmas trees with luxurious table offerings. If faith supports the power of God, then faith in Santa Claus should make him the greatest wizard. And for those who believe in him, he undoubtedly exists and is capable of miracles.
Everything depends on the person. One believes in Santa Claus, another categorically denies his existence, and the third has never thought about it at all. Most often, of course, children believe in this fairy-tale character. But in any case, modern Santa Claus came to us from mythology. Whether this is true or not is not for us to decide, because our ancestors passed on beliefs from generation to generation.
And everyone decides for themselves. If you believe in his existence, then Santa Claus exists. Or rather, on the contrary, Santa Claus exists as long as you believe in him. Unfortunately, when the child becomes older, Santa Claus goes to very young children who still believe in him.
I remember that until I was 6 years old, I sincerely believed and waited for Grandfather Frost. The feeling of a holiday, a fairy tale was, as never before, strong, bright and rich. It’s a pity that over time we stop believing in miracles, unless somewhere deep down we still hope... And that’s good, because we don’t have to lose those kind, magical emotions that we experienced in childhood.
Now I have a little son, for whom I will make one, New Year's tale, which I used to look forward to myself. I hope his faith in Santa Claus will last as long as possible.
Let everyone decide for themselves whether this kind and sweet grandfather exists or not. The main thing is that our children believe. After all, this festive and magical feeling is so beautiful and unforgettable.
Each person decides this question for himself. If you want to believe in a winter fairy tale, Santa Claus will definitely come.
My eight-year-old daughter still believes in Santa Claus, and I am not dissuading her. Before the New Year, I ordered her a parcel and a letter from Santa Claus. We went with her to the post office to receive a package, she saw her name and surname on the box. She was happy.
And then a friend came to her and began to say that there was no Santa Claus, that it was her parents who put gifts under the tree. The daughter took out a letter from Santa Claus and showed it to her friend. Before my eyes, my friend was convinced and I saw that she also wanted to receive the letter, and that real Grandfather Frost came to her home.
Do we, adults, need to deprive children of fairy tales? I don't think so. They will still have time to find out everything, become disillusioned with life, with scarlet sails and princes on a white horse.
I already know everything. But every time New Year's Eve, I feel a little anxious and joyful, as if Santa Claus is really coming that night.
Someone learned the truth about Santa Claus in early childhood, became disappointed and stopped believing in fairy tales and miracles, which means childhood is gone. And those who have left memories of miracles in their souls, who continue to believe in magic, will always believe that Santa Claus exists. Father Frost is believed to be one of the incarnations of God, while others say that Father Frost came from pagan mythology. But in any case, faith is the choice of every person.
Whether our Grandfather Frost exists or not, we may not know until the end of time. On the one hand, this is a fairy-tale character in whom children so blindly believe, and on the other hand, this is just an invention of adults, but you must admit, I really want to believe that he really exists.
Our experts are unanimous: at any age, you cannot deprive a child of a miracle. Faith in it, sometimes irrational, allows even adults to overcome difficult obstacles and solve problems. Tasks that seem impossible to those who do not believe in miracles.
Many experts, including Eric Berne, are convinced that the role of the inner child in the life of an adult is difficult to overestimate.
In fact, society regularly puts us in this position - when we become a young specialist in a company or get a new job. social role(for example, son-in-law or daughter-in-law).
In such situations, a childhood filled with faith in miracles helps to survive stressful moments and adapt as easily as possible.
“Up to a certain age, a child lives in a specific magical world fantasy and creativity,” says psychologist and body therapist Dmitry Berger. - The simplest and most logical conversation about Santa Claus can be structured like this: you, as an adult, take on the role of Santa Claus and explain to the child that he is unconditionally loved and will definitely receive his share of the fairy tale and touch the miracle.
Our life is a fragile and beautiful miracle, and there is no sadder sight than adults in whom the light of a happy and bright child has gone out
At the same time, in order to please Grandfather Frost, it is advisable to be among those children who study diligently, collect toys, eat carefully, and so on.
That is, you are not deceiving the child: in fact, you are acting as Santa Claus and recommending on his behalf exactly what you need. And you yourself give gifts to the child if he fulfills your wishes.
To some extent, you are establishing a dialogue between the child and the world of magic. In the future, this will allow the child to retain the feeling of touching a miracle.
This will help you carry part of your childhood throughout your life, which is very important.
Our life is a fragile and beautiful miracle, and there is no sadder sight than adults in whom the light of a happy and bright child has gone out.”
“Why did you have doubts?”
“Young children usually believe what their parents say without any critical thought or analysis.
That is why a child under 4-5 years old will most likely not even ask this question, says children’s and family psychologist Ekaterina Kes. “If you have read books about Santa Claus to him since childhood, watched cartoons and told him that it is Father Frost who puts gifts under the tree or personally distributes them when he comes to visit, it will not even occur to your child that Father Frost may not exist.” .
But closer to 5 years, a child may have vague doubts - is it true that winter wizard is there really? A child can either figure this out on his own or hear from someone that “there is no Santa Claus.”
In such a situation, Ekaterina Kes does not advise parents to answer unambiguously the questions of a doubting child.
It is better to reflect and explore this topic with him, asking open-ended questions, for example:
- What do you think?
- It seems like you believed in him before?
- Have you now begun to doubt that he really exists?
- Why did you have doubts?
- Would you like Santa Claus to exist?
Such questions will help you better understand your child, find out where his doubts came from and what he himself thinks about this.
This form of dialogue with your child is preferable regardless of the topics you discuss. By asking questions, you do not give ready-made answers, but think with him, help him formulate his thoughts, and encourage him to think.
However, you can learn a lot about your child if you listen carefully.
“Many children and adults believe in him, and I still believe in him too.”
“It is not very correct to unequivocally convince a child that Santa Claus exists - if a child asks about it, it means he already feels that it is not true,” continues Ekaterina Kes. - And yet, just taking it and saying: “There is no Santa Claus, these are all actors in disguise who work for money” is also not an option. It means destroying the magic in one fell swoop and taking away a child’s dream.”
Children really really want to believe in fairy tales and magic.
A child psychologist advises the following phrase: “You know, I can’t say for sure whether Santa Claus exists or not. Many children and even adults believe in him, and I still believe in him too. I have never seen him myself, but I have heard a lot about him.
I believe that there is the most Chief Grandfather Frost, who lives far, far away in the North and is helped by many of his assistants. It is these helpers who come to children. You know, there are such magical things that if you believe in them, then they exist, and if you don’t believe in them, then they don’t exist.”
You do not deceive the child and do not tell obvious lies, and at the same time you leave him hope and the opportunity to believe in what he himself wants to believe.
And children really really want to believe in fairy tales and magic.
What else can you say?
Psychologist and art therapist Ekaterina Antyufyeva advises three more answer options depending on age.
“Of course, Santa Claus exists!” (3-5 years)
Belief in a fairy tale is one of the resource states of childhood. It is important for children to believe that in life there is a place for magic, celebration, unexpected surprises and wishes come true. However, not only for children, right?
Memories of the anticipation of a miracle and the atmosphere family holiday long years later they will respond in their souls with warmth and gratitude.
“Santa Claus is a miracle, and miracles happen to those who believe in them” (5-7 years)
Watch a film about Lapland with your child or visit the Russian residence of Father Frost. Write him a letter (there is such a service), your baby will be glad to receive an answer in a beautiful envelope.
Tell us that Santa Claus really needs helpers, so he asks other people to help him organize a holiday, and they put on costumes, congratulate the children and give gifts.
This will save your child from disappointment when he notices, for example, that Santa Claus is in kindergarten speaks in the voice of a teacher.
“Each of us is a little bit of a wizard, remember?” (8-10 years)
At this age, a child can be told that Santa Claus exists, but exists as an image, like good fairy tale, as a wonderful tradition to create a holiday and give joy to others.
New Year's Eve was in full swing, the floors and ceilings were shaking - the adults were celebrating.
I padded into the next room and in a sleepy voice asked my parents: “Did you come?” - “Oh, yes... I didn’t want to wake you up, but I asked you to pass this on,” - from wrapping paper they freed something smooth and snow-white. Skates!!! Dream!!! Since then, I am absolutely sure that it still exists.
And why not, if...
Our parents tell us about him. And parents don’t lie to their children. The foolish little one can still afford to doubt that mom and dad are being dark about the strange old man, who cannot be caught red-handed, even if you don’t sleep all night. But you and I are adults, well-bred people. We will not suspect them of this.
He draws patterns of unimaginable beauty on the windows. An ordinary person is simply unable to portray a fabulous winter forest on back side glass without the help of brushes and paints. Overnight. On the fourteenth floor.
He is a thousand times more popular than any of the stars show business, sports and politics. How many of you have met in person? But no one doubts that it exists.
Number of gifts received by the population for the New Year, significantly exceeds the cast of all troupes of all theaters in the country, who work part-time during the holidays with congratulations to children and adults. According to the latest census. Have you taken a bath with fragrant foam, and the census takers never reached you? Then even more significant. Don't forget to go to the bathhouse before December 31st so you don't miss Santa Claus.
He has a huge number of doubles in any part of the globe. Santa Claus in English-speaking countries, French Pere Noel, Karelian Pakkaine, Azerbaijani Shakhta Baba, Finnish Joulupukki and even Shen Dan Laoren in China, which is certainly much more difficult for us to imagine. Perhaps these are not even doubles, but relatives. And if he has such a large family, then how can he not exist?
100% of participants in the survey “Why did you believe in the existence of Santa Claus as a child?” They said they still believe in him. If you are confused by the fact that these were just my friends, and the research was carried out within the framework of the task set to prove the unprovable, you can double-check this on your friends. I assure you, the result will be the same.
There is no more or less convincing evidence that he really doesn't exist. We continue to believe in it, and few people seriously think of interrupting this wonderful tradition and debunking the myth.
He loves his granddaughter. Like a real grandfather. Pampers and does not burden with hard work. Despite the fact that the Snow Maiden is officially considered his main and only assistant, in reality she does not have a single time-consuming responsibility. And she doesn’t always accompany him.
Many different events happen in life, the reality of which is impossible to believe. Let's take, for example, the very desires that we make with such zeal, trying to formulate in one minute, write down on a piece of napkin, dissolve in a glass of champagne and swallow the volume of tasks that, according to our common sense, cannot be solved even in five years. But they come true!
He believes in us. Although he could have taken offense long ago and stopped contacting such suspicious and distrustful creatures as people.
He is the only one of the invented fairy-tale characters who somehow becomes real at least once a year. The rest do not even bother to leave their haunted ovens, strange forests, magical swamps, and other fantasy worlds, children's books, films and cartoons.
He has an excellent pedigree, dating back to the history of the ancient Slavs. The ancestor on the male line - Grandfather Treskun - was a strict but fair old man. He did not favor those who whined and were angry about the cold, but rewarded the hard-working and patient with good health.
His image has not been subject to any criticism for many years. With the current speed and instantaneous reactions of fashion to the rapidly changing tastes of a demanding public, we have to admit that maintaining such a stable demand for the same ensemble of a red fur coat and matching cap is the result of cooperation with a team of competent modern stylists.
He is a citizen of his country. He has a homeland and a permanent place of residence. The presence of a passport and registration will most likely be confirmed by the employees of the corresponding passport office in the glorious city of Veliky Ustyug.
Nothing human is alien to him. For example, a love of poetry, even in the form of children's poems. It’s hard to even imagine how many of them he heard in his lifetime from obedient boys and girls. However, every time in every house he is ready to listen to them again and again.
He is kind. Among folklore heroes it is difficult to find a more generous, noble and tireless one. At the most inappropriate time of year for fun - cold and inhospitable winter - he comes to us with gifts, love and faith in the best.
It appears on the horizon only on holidays. Like all other normal people. Sometimes even your closest friends won’t get around to drinking coffee - chatting about this and that among working week. This is the harsh reality.
He doesn't care at all about the laws of physics. Therefore, he moves through the air by reindeer, descends through chimneys whose diameter does not even fit his staff alone, and manages to visit millions of homes in one night. What, have you never covered crazy distances in a matter of minutes? Even when you're late for work? Have you ever found yourself at home at a time when no transport is running anymore? Even when returning from a corporate party? How did you manage to do this? Maybe you are Santa Claus?
He doesn't have a wife. It is possible that he does not want to get married at all. And in this he is no different from the average man of our time.
He's quite successful. If not to say that his career can top the list of the most successful in history. At the same time, it seems that he does not intend to stop there and retire. But a career still cannot exist separately from the one who makes it.
He's not without sentimentality and other human weaknesses. Imagine how many letters he receives from kids! But all of them need to be read very carefully. He definitely just really enjoys the process. It is touching.
“I personally think yes! I can’t explain it, but... yes!” The words are not of a boy, but of a girl. An ordinary 6-year-old girl. I personally think that this is quite objective evidence. I can't explain why, but... yes!
He takes care of his health and plays sports. Because, being at a fairly advanced age, he accomplishes a lot and never complains about anything.
There are those who doubt this. In other words, there is no smoke without fire. The presence of opposition is direct evidence that there is an informational reason to argue.
Every man has been Santa Claus at least once in his life. Well, or a fisherman who caught such a fish! Or having won a tender against such a rival! And we trust men even more often than our parents. From a certain point on, we generally only trust them.
He has a cool head, a warm heart and clean hands. Perhaps he is simply an employee of the secret security services. You can't imagine a better cover for catching spies and other scoundrels than the New Year celebration.
He might get confused. Call Sasha Vitya, Konstantin Valentinovich Valentin Konstantinovich, and Snegurka Marinochka. It happens to everyone. It doesn’t happen only with fairy-tale characters, but for living people it’s a common thing.
He's old. If they had invented him, they would have portrayed him as a handsome, kind fellow - charming, smart and with good prospects. Well, at least that's what I would do.
There is not a single person who does not have a special relationship with him. He owed someone something ever since he gave him a construction set instead of an ordered car. Someone is racking their brains: whether to use the services of a holiday agency or ask the neighbor from the apartment on the left to play the role of a winter grandfather for their beloved child. Someone had a lot of philosophical questions for him.
But we are all waiting for him. And we will wait until we believe in a miracle. Even when we stop believing in Santa Claus.
Gestalt therapist Svetlana Panina reveals the secrets of how to talk to a child about Santa Claus so that he does not consider his parents to be liars
The fairy-tale character Santa Claus is not such a grandfather. It appeared in the lives of Ukrainians during the Soviet Union. The then government decided that St. Nicholas, who is a religious hero, had no place in the USSR, so they decided to create their own character.
Consequently, since the 1930s, Father Frost appeared at all performances in kindergartens, schools and the streets of cities and villages. Of course, he brought gifts to everyone, usually sweets, and his granddaughter Snegurochka and the boy who was actually the New Year helped distribute them. In those days, they even created special bureaus where you could call Santa Claus home so that he would bring pre-agreed gifts to the children.
The man in a red fur coat down to his toes was loved by everyone and is firmly entrenched today. Every year, children across the country wait under the tree for gifts to magically appear and hope to catch Santa Claus climbing through a chimney, window or balcony to place the expected presents.
What to do when a child understands that Father Frost was his parents and asks about him directly, said Gestalt therapist, family psychologist and mother of three children Svetlana Panina.
The child believes in Santa Claus, but we are silent. Are we on time?
Santa Claus is a folklore character who appears long before a child acquires critical thinking skills. This character enters his life at a time when the world around him seems fabulous. Usually this is a period of up to three years. The child does not remember at all how his parents talked about him. He only listens to the fairy tales that his parents read at night, and the fictional characters they have are stored in his memory.
So, if you stop reading fairy tales and, say, switch your child to a tablet, then he may fall out of the culture and not learn anything about Santa Claus. However, in most cases this does not happen, and the child remains within the framework of his culture.
Until the age of five, a child lives in a fairy-tale world and believes that enchantment exists, so there is no reason to blame yourself for lying to him. And in the end, I have rarely heard of parents intentionally informing their children that Santa Claus exists. They don't do that.
The child begins to suspect that Santa Claus was invented
When a child begins to ask questions about whether Santa Claus even exists, it is important not to do all the work for him by giving the answer. He must do this without anyone's help. It is better for the child to come to the conclusion that Santa Claus is still a fiction. Revealing this secret is an important stage in a child’s growing up. He must independently move from the fairy-tale world to the real world.
Children are not such fools as they seem to be. They want the miracle to continue to happen, although they already understand that Santa Claus does not exist. However, they force parents to give the second part of the gift. After all, “Santa Claus brought these gifts. What will you, parents, give me?” And then mom and dad have to get out.
A child asks if Santa Claus exists. Life hack on how to answer a question correctly
At the moment when a child asks such questions, parents usually fall into a stupor, not knowing how to correctly convey the truth. There are several ways to do this.
Method 1
You can raise the “white flag” and tell it like it is. It is worth explaining to the child that they had no intention of lying and were simply maintaining faith in a miracle.
But here you need to understand that children do not always want to hear this truth: in fact, they are more interested in how their parents treat them. Therefore, it is worth explaining that you, the parents, consider him an adult who is able to understand everything himself. Ask the child what he himself thinks about this, but do not deliberately lead him to the truth.
Method 2
Another way to respond is to say nothing. Parents should, so to speak, “freeze”, saying that Santa Claus brings gifts only to those who believe in him. So the child himself will analyze and pave the way to the correct answer.
Method 3
The universal and best answer is to discuss this topic with your child. You need to ask what he thinks and feels about this. If your child insists that Santa Claus exists, share his belief. If he says that there is no Santa Claus, ask why he thinks so. Don't answer either yes or no. If the child nevertheless understands that this character is just a fiction and gets upset, support him and explain if you are also offended and offer to become Santa Claus’s assistant in relation to the younger children.
Psychologist's experience
Personally, I got out this way. My 12 year old daughter received two gifts: one from Santa Claus and the other from me. I handed her a magic wand and said: “12 years old is the age when you can already give gifts to other people. Santa Claus comes to children, and at 12 years old a person is already an adult.” So I explained to her that Santa Claus is not a person, but simply a spirit inside her that inspires her to give gifts to others.
If the child is ready to accept this truth, tell him about it and support him, because this is what children come to their parents for.
The child was offended by his parents for “lying” about Santa Claus. What does this mean?
If a child is offended by his parents because they hid the truth and that Santa Claus does not exist, the problem is actually not only that. This reaction is a manifestation of disrupted communication between the child and his parents.
In this case, parents should talk with their children in order to better understand them and prevent such cases. Parents should ask how their child feels about the holiday, and also involve them in the process of preparing for it.
For example, there is a wonderful tradition of writing letters to Santa Claus and St. Nicholas. Invite your child to write it, but give him room for creativity. Get rid of all the rules: let him scribble and write outside the ruler. The main thing is that the parents are nearby at this very moment.
This letter can be taken to the post office together, allowing the child to throw it into the mailbox with his own hands. You can also prepare gifts together for other family members or make decorations for the Christmas tree and home together. This interaction between children and parents makes the child feel loved and supported.
Why the moment of magic is important in a child’s life, and decommunization of Santa Claus is a bad idea
Whether we like it or not, people need magic. Holidays in our culture are a demonstration that we have survived and we have the resources not only to continue to exist, but also to create comfort and a pleasant atmosphere around. With such “excess” we show the child that we can continue to survive, because once or even more a year the family can afford to celebrate. This is an element public culture, to which we involve the child.
I don’t know how the decommunization of Santa Claus will take place, and how new laws will be applied to him, but I think that everything should go on as usual. If humanity grows out of these fairy tales, then so be it. But deliberately removing Santa Claus from children's matinees in kindergartens and schools and from people's lives in general makes no sense. Everything you need will fall away on its own.
There may be another character in a child’s life, around whom a little mysticism and magic will revolve. There doesn’t have to be a Santa Claus, because a hundred years ago no one even knew about him.
If parents don’t want to “lie” about Santa Claus, they can come up with another character that suits their conscience. But the moment of magic must remain.
An atmosphere of mystery is important for every person. If we say that Santa Claus is a lie, then cinema, theater, and cartoons are also a lie. It is worth finding the line between magic and lies and getting positive emotions from such holidays.
Santa Claus does come once a year, so you shouldn’t get hung up on the fact that he’s just a fiction and just enjoy the family holiday.
The question of whether Santa Claus really exists has long been troubling the minds of our children and others. After all, if it doesn’t exist, then who puts gifts under the tree?
A little bit of historySeriously, it’s impossible to say exactly when the man we all know appeared. Apparently, initially it was some kind of Slavic pagan creature - the personification of the energy of cold, freezing. There is evidence that Moroz, usually called Treskunts, was sacrificed (as a gift?) with kutya. Kutya is a funeral dish, which means that, apparently, the idea of the border between the worlds is realized here: human and navy, the dead. Indeed, in the fairy tale “Morozko”, a girl jumps into a well to reach the world of Frost - thus overcoming the barrier between worlds.
Apparently this New Year's character– Santa Claus did not exist until the 30s, when the government decided to resume the celebration, but without Christmas paraphernalia and, naturally, without religious content.
That's when the New Year's wizard appeared, bringing gifts to happy Soviet children. Later, although not immediately, the Snow Maiden began to walk with him.
Who is Snegurochka?Not everything is clear with the Snow Maiden either. She appeared either from folk tales, or from a play by A. Ostrovsky. But the fairy-tale Snow Maiden has nothing to do with Father Frost at all, regardless of whether he really exists. And in Ostrovsky’s fairy tale she is Moroz’s daughter, not his granddaughter! And she doesn’t look at all like the sweet girl now wishing the guys a Happy New Year - some kind of eccentric young lady who doesn’t really know what she wants. True, in fairness, this is not her fault: her essence is dual, since her mother is Spring. And in the Snow Maiden two principles are fighting: frosty, motionless, dead - and spring, living, loving.
Unlike her, Santa Claus is an integral, rational being. He is kind and wise, majestic and cheerful.
Is it true that Santa Claus exists?
Of course it's true. You can ask any child - and anyone (except the completely hopeless one) will answer exactly like that. And since Santa Claus exists, there must be some evidence of this.
And they are. First of all, Santa Claus has an address. Actually, there are three: in Arkhangelsk, in Lapland and in Veliky Ustyug. You can, in general, add his Moscow residence to the list. Can someone who doesn’t exist have an address?
True, it turns out that the real Santa Claus not only exists, but exists in several places at once, but these are minor things. After all, he is a wizard - why should he move in space in the blink of an eye!?
The main residence of Father Frost is located in Veliky Ustyug; special trains go here and thousands of people come who want to see his homeland.
Residence of Father FrostVeliky Ustyug is a small, modest city in the Vologda region, the same age as Moscow. 
And there were no special prerequisites for him to become so famous throughout Russia. Well, perhaps the Northern mob is a trade that has long existed in these harsh places and has no analogues in the world. And if there was no Santa Claus, how would Ustyug become such a popular place for tourists?
The residence operates a Santa Claus Post Office, where thousands of children and even adults send letters with requests, wishes, stories about their lives and dreams of a miracle. Who do they write to, the question arises, if there is no Santa Claus?
This is probably all or almost all the evidence that can be given for the existence of Santa Claus. But science does not stand still! Perhaps there will be even more of them soon!
