CAUTION—The Truth About Santa

Santa Claus is a name that nearly every kid has heard of before. As a young child, most know him as a jolly old man in a red suit who leaves presents under the tree during Christmas time. However nowadays, most students know him simply as mom and dad.

“I found out Santa wasn’t real because I walked in on my parents wrapping presents late at night,” said junior Carter Holland.

Parents go to great lengths to keep the tradition going. They tell their kids to write letters to Santa, they find hidden places around the house to hide the gifts, they help their kids leave out cookies and milk for ole St. Nick (and sometimes even carrots for the reindeer), and then they stay up late at night to put the presents under the tree. Parents continue to do this year after year until the truth about Santa is revealed. Although they do not run a huge toy factory up at the North Pole or have to travel the globe all in a single night, being Santa is still a lot of hard work.

“I used to write letters to Santa and my parents said they had to go mail it to the North Pole and one time I was in my mom’s room and found the letter and envelope in the trash can,” said junior Natasha Tahmasebi.

Tahmasebi was devastated to find out. The magical illusion of Santa Claus, the North Pole, the elves, and the reindeer shatters in just one sudden realization. Whether the truth is revealed by a classmate, parent, or by an older sibling, finding out tends to come as a complete shock. A lot of times the truth comes out entirely by accident, with absolutely no warning at all. Parents may not even intend for their kids to figure out who Santa Claus really is, it just all happens by mistake.

“I figured it out myself because Santa’s handwriting looked exactly like my dad’s,” said sophomore Hayden Major.