I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer on the other nice Christmas threads. So, I’ll be one here.
My ex-wife, the hyper-religious lover of Jeebus, NEVER told my sons about Santa … except to tell them he was a fake. Yeah, my kids were real popular with other parents when they were in 1st grade, and 2nd grade, and …. My only regret is that I gave her such a hard time about it, and that it was a source of arguments during Christmas. She was right, after all (the first and only time, trust me.)
In the other thread I talked about my parents lighting red and white candles and singing Stille Nacht, just before opening presents. I can hardly remember a single present. We were poor, no doubt about that. So, presents tended to be practical … and, few. A shirt for school. Mittens and scarves were popular. Warm socks, also.
But, the singing … and mom’s very very special Christmas cookies …. and the great pride my dad took in decorating the tree with handmade Austrian ornaments, so beloved that they actually made room in their four suitcases to bring them over …. yeah, that I remember like it was yesterday.
I hate this friggin holiday. I can’t even celebrate it the way I want.
At 4:30 we’ll be leaving to see Mr. Stockbroker, Mrs. Corporate Lawyer, Andrew, and Rena. There are no traditions their children will cherish when they get older. Mom will throw together some blech(!!) dinner; a pre-cooked ham from Costco, soggy vegetables out of a can, and for appetizers buffalo wings from the nearby TGIF (seriously). If it wouldn’t be for my from-scratch lemon-meringue pie, desert would be some cheap-ass super-sweet store-bought “chocolate” cake. Krist.
Andrew never talks to me on the phone. But, yesterday his mom called to finalize arrangements, and then she said Andrew wants to ask me something. Okaaaay. He wanted to know what Santa was bringing him tomorrow!! Jeebus, a double lie!! First, that Santa is bringing him something. Second, that I am the agent for Santa. Crap, I don’t even get credit for the Big Salad?? (Seinfeld reference).
It gets worse. Rena is getting a present from Santa. She’s like … 4 weeks old. Gotta train them to be materialistic consumers early, I guess. She better say “Thank You”!!!
Dammit. All I really want to do is light red and white candles, and listen to Christmas songs from the Vienna Boys Choir.
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The Santa Claus Syndrome
The Santa Clause: Lying is OK, so long as everyone else is doing it.
The Santa Claus Syndrome is the effect of societal complicity in, and/or complacency to, lies and the belief that’s ok.
Take a moment to imagine yourself an outsider and visitor to a new culture. Imagine if you will an annual global celebration so fantastic that people excitedly await it all year long. Imagine the celebration correlates the winter solstice. Imagine the celebration is so spectacular and grandiose that it spurs the sales of products worldwide and some businesses exist solely because of it. Imagine that nearly all businesses profit from it and promote it. Imagine that the main part of the celebration, for most people, aside from sparkling decorations and elaborate gift giving, is openly lying to young children!
Most everyone celebrates the holiday, but those who do not celebrate it are expected to go along with the tradition of broadly lying to children and accepting the excessive materialism out of consideration for cultural tradition.
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Although some call Christmas today a ‘Pagan’ holiday, in reality it is nothing of the kind. The pagans I know want nothing to do with it.
Christmas is a children’s consumption holiday. They look forward to it the most. Well, children and the profiting corporations, of course. Children receive countless presents, rewarded for accepting as truth impossible fictions about a fat man from the North Pole, an omnipotence external being who “sees you when you’re sleeping”, who judges children, and who withholds or grants material incentives accordingly.
—– It is better to give than to receive, they are told.
—– Celebration and happiness is in the receiving, they observe.
—– Reward is earned by modelling behavior and suspending critical thinking, they learn.
Generally speaking, telling children fiction as fact is counter-productive to their developing minds. But children do of course eventually inquire of their parents and strangers alike about the phenomenon of the holiday and the fat man. For a period of time after that first enquiry, many children are lied to further – to prolong the “magic”. Finally, they get their answer and find that majority of adults are in on the lie. Even institutions like schools lie, and local and national news. And now they will lie, too. And it’s all okay… so long as everyone else is doing it.
And that, kids, is the magic of Christmas!
Other celebration rituals involve cutting down young trees for indoor decorations, wrapping gifts in paper from other trees and putting them under the dying, decorated tree on the last night of the celebration and saying the fat man did it. The children are told the fat man traverses the world on an inadequately sized sled powered by flying reindeer (the lead one featuring an inexplicable glowing nose) and stops by the homes of children, entering through chimneys yet staying crispy clean, having cookies at each house as he drops off plastic weapons and impossibly thin dolls.
And the fat man, old Santa Claus, he isn’t just generous, he’s mysterious. He doesn’t simply give because it’s better than receiving. He and his elf workers in the North Pole watch all the children of Earth all year long. He decides which children receive the promise of abundance based on who’s been naughty and nice.
Sounds a bit like the other Big Guy, who decides who receives the promise of abundance in the ‘afterlife’, based on who’s been naughty and nice.
First Lies
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The Santa Claus story is an unnecessary social conjuration of a blatantly un-sacred holiday. Those of us who grew up in in ‘Christmas’ homes were all influenced by it in one way or another; even the ‘not Christmas’ kids were openly encouraged to withhold the truth from the ‘Christmas’ kids – to prolong the magic.
Abstract and nuanced, it is the first load of garbage young humans in Christian-influenced societies have to mentally digest. For many kids, it is the first time they come to doubt their parents on a point of truth, and the first time they are knowingly lied to if their suspicions are deflected. Then, once entrusted with continuing the Santa Claus myth with younger children, it is the first time they learn that the caveat to the long held ‘no lying’ rule is … ‘so long as everyone else is doing it’.
Just play along kids, and you’ll still get the gifts.
Amid all the Christmas hoopla, which starts to build in stores as early as October, children are normally so occupied with shiny lights and the prospect of gifts that there really is no impetus to question it. Eventually, despite the enticements on offer, the lie is realized of course, for some kids much sooner than others, and the specifics and nuances come undone as a natural function of their maturing minds.
Tradition or Parody?
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Regardless of any magical intention, the blunt reality is that parents, teachers, strangers, radio hosts, and local weathermen are deceiving children in perfect synchronization, steering them into immense emotional and material attachment to a collective (unnecessary) illusory figure that withholds from the ‘naughty’ and rewards the ‘nice’.
The holiday in its current formation gives us all practice at complicity, passing on cultural fictions because they were passed onto us, and because that’s what adults do. It is effectively a child-friendly celebration of the doctrines — It’s better to receive than to give, and you’re expected to lie so long as everyone else is doing it — proudly brought to you by your favorite sugary drink, Coca-Cola.
The worst part of the celebration of this vile conjuration is not the lie itself, but the results of it. Lying to kids in this way creates a parody of genuine human tradition, substituting meaningful ritual with an illusory commercial mockery. But that’s only stage one of the Santa Claus Syndrome…
Learning the Santa Clause is the the first test of adulthood. Left unresolved, the experience can manifest to varying degrees, in a number of ways.
The Santa Claus Syndrome
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The Santa Clause: Lying is OK, so long as everyone else is doing it.
If you don’t question what you’ve been told, accept incomplete information, and don’t proceed with your natural impulse, you quite likely have the Santa Claus Syndrome to some degree. Quite simply, it makes people ignore serious issues.
Stage One:
It manifests as insistence on celebrating lies posing as tradition, elaborate intent on the deception of youth including distraction with sparkling decoration and gifts, and instilling ‘the Santa Clause’ in children.
Beyond that, ;the Santa Clause’ teaches us to conform to widely-accepted untruths.
Stage Two:
Stage two is the acceptance of adult lies, servitude to authority and unquestioning belief in whatever the ‘proper authority’ states. The childhood belief in Santa Claus and trust of authority leads to an adulthood belief that the government, corporate and religious institutions they trust do not lie.
Just like a kid sees the local weather reporter tracking Santa’s flight path, an adult with stage two Santa Claus Syndrome will see as real other fictions in the news and media (such as chemically treated food is just as healthy as organic, or nuclear is a safe energy system).
Stage Three:
Telling adult lies. Stage Three Santa Claus Syndrome is also indicated by people who continue adult likes, such as nuclear is safe… or cannabis has no medicinal value… or insert any number of lies here _____ that many people perpetuate on behalf of our corrupted institutions.
Stage Four:
In Stage Four, one has all the symptoms of stages One through Three. Further, those in Stage Four are likely to lash out at those who question the status quo or expose lies (and forcing change) in anyway. Stage Four can involved the conjuration of adult lies, instituting great and broad fictions for trifle and temporary gains, often as a way to psychologically rationalize not just with others but themselves, to believe what they are doing – and who they are – is ok.
Trading why for what
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It is no coincidence that around the time when young children begin to ask the eternal why, a series of ‘whys’ in regard to every subject, they are taught ‘the Santa Clause’, which teaches them, teaches us, to replace the endless series of why into an endless series of what. Where the Santa Claus fiction is concerned, knowing is less important than obtaining. It is the first true test of our ‘adulthood’; once you are entrusted with the truth of the lie, adults check that you repeat the lie to those younger than you; those who aren’t to know.
Then in adulthood, we are exposed to big and sometimes seriously dark and disturbing lies. And adult lies – lies told by authorities – are often backed up by the local news reporters and retailers, just like Santa Claus. And just like the children we were, and the children we raise, we adults too stop asking why in exchange for what.
The materialistic enticement of ‘the Santa Clause’ has contributed to a culture where understanding is inhibited, and truth undervalued. We teach our children not to tell the truth so as not to make the babies cry. We reward materialistic impulses, confusing gratification with what is right and wrong. But worst of all, we teach little people to accept that we are lied to, and to contribute to broadly accepted lies — as long as we have bright shiny things.
Evidence of the Santa Clause Syndrome is everywhere in our society. Many personal and societal problems can be theoretically traced to it, but also many institutions can be rationally broken down as disturbingly negative or outright useless when considering it. Most evidently, Santa Claus Syndrome does not promote individuation, but conformity – at a very impressionable stage of childhood development.
Santa Claus is Dead
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Christmas today doesn’t celebrate the humanity nor the amazing world around us – in other words, anything real – and that is a direct reflection of our sick society. Although I risk being accused of some ridiculous thinking here, I believe we need to heal and re-create our culture through sacred, nutritious traditions grounded in love, simplicity and gratitude.
In contrast, the fiction of Santa doesn’t encourage a sense of gratitude in children. Children “earn” gifts from Santa Claus by adhering to social norms – naughty or nice – and any innate sense of gratitude a child may feel for this annual abundance is intentionally misdirected at a magical, fictional patriarch, until a comprehensive deception is finally realized. Sadly, that realization is where, for most kids, their broader sense of magic is hindered a learned distrust of their developing senses.
Arguably the most underestimated and psychologically disturbing rites of passage for children in Christian-based cultures today, ‘the Santa Clause’ is another failing institutionalization, much like the religions that spawned it. And so, many of us are now facing the decision to keep perpetuating ‘the Santa Clause’ within our family circles, or begin the process of transforming this ritualized nonsense into a genuinely sacred, annual celebration of peace, renewal and gratitude.
This year Santa is dead to me. There will be no false idol. This year, children will learn the truth if they come around here. And with that, healing from the Santa Clause Syndrome can begin.
This holiday season, be sure to not tell your kids a pack of lies and cater only to their material desires – no matter the tradition.
Let’s create a new holiday.
Peace on Earth… only for real.
Merry Christmas!
http://wakeup-world.com/2014/12/21/the-santa-clause-syndrome/
I was about 4 when my Father told me there was no Santa. Some might react to that by thinking my father was some kind of ass hole. No he did the right thing. It was me that was being the ass. What happened was I had told my father what I wanted for Christmas and he said no he wasn’t getting that for me, it was probably some dumb thing I didn’t need, I have no doubt he was right. Well that pissed me off and being the little shit that I was I figured I would shame him into getting me what I wanted so I told him he wasn’t very nice and if he wouldn’t get me what I wanted then Santa would get it for me since Santa was nice. At which point my Father promptly announced “There is no Santa Clause”.
That announcement must have hit me pretty hard because I to this day can remember the exact spot in the road we were when I discovered there was no Santa Clause.
Good one Stucky! I’ll admit that reading through the first dozen or so paragraphs, all I could think of is: “he could write pretty much the same thing about Christianity itself.”
Growing up on military bases was like living in a multi colored, multi cultural soup. In hindsight it was one of the best parts about my upbringing as it taught me to accept people as people. Anywho, there were kids of every color, nationality and religious bent around. We were living at Laughlin AFB in TX when a cute little British girl told me that Santa wasn’t real. I was four or maybe five and I had training wheels on my bike. After being told Santa wasn’t real I remember being quite upset and pedaling my bike slow as molasses in winter as I headed home crying my eyes out the entire way. I expected mom to hug me and tell me that mean little witch was out of her mind and that Santa was real but no, she confirmed it.
That year we went to my mom’s parents home for Christmas and grandpa told me Santa used to be real but he got tired of those damn reindeer tearing up his roof every winter so he shot him dead and buried him under the pool! I must have still been in a delicate emotional state because that set off another round of tears.
Santo Clos is a gringo invention, every kid in the barrio knows that. The Reyes Magos aka the Maji bring gifts on the 12th day of Christmas, that would be the 6th of January. Gringos are so gullible, I suppose you believed in the Easter bunny also?
This is part of my high school Epiphany: every month has a holiday except for August which is its own holiday, the sexy yet virtuous mulatta says things like ‘he made his August’ to describe making a holiday of some bonanza.
It is scary that American holiday creep is occurring in Mexico where they now celebrate Noche de Brujas with Haloween masks and maybe some trick o treat shit and Santa baloney.
Isn’t Halloween in Mexico a religious holiday like All Souls Day where you visit the graves of your ancestors?
Our balcony in Espana overlooked a huge cemetery and it looked like a big party every halloween.
The “creep” of American values is bad which is why I feel sorry for the Cubans going forward. Wally World in every town. McShits and Starbucks on every corner. I’ll bet the corporate fucks get stores built there before the Cubans even have jobs paying enough to shop there. It would be fantastic to see some foreign sociologists document the coming destruction of Cuban culture. Americans could fuck up a soup sandwich!
I think the creation and embellishment of consumerism is a secondary effect of belief in Santa Clause, the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny.
I believe the primary purpose is to instill a belief in a deity or the supernatural at a young and impressionable age who will grow up believing in “mysticism” (Ayn Rand’s term). Why else would people believe that government can do with the nations wealth what Jesus did with five loaves and three fish and have twelve bushels leftover and they have dibs on the leftovers.
This illusion appears to be a Christian belief as the non theistic Eastern Religions which are based on a philosophy don’t have a all knowing, all seeing and all giving “God”. All major religions are roughly based on the Judo-Christian “Ten Commandments”. Unfortunately the Judo-Christian nations have the Ten Planks of the “Communist Manifesto” superseding the “Ten Commandments” and The “Bill of Rights” from the US Constitution.
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Are you people nuts. Santa Claus is as real I’m standing here.The Easter bunny , Tooth fairy , Bigfoot , are all real.My imaginary Friend I played with every day was real to me.
Stucky , you tell us about your parents but do you remember your grandparents. If so what can you tell us about them .I think about my grandparents every day especially during the holidays. Did they speak English?Did they come to America?I am interested but nothing to personal just a brief description of what they were like.
ASIG tries to shame dad in buying a present and gets the shaft. heh heh
I_S has a gramps who says he shot Santa and Santa is under the pool. Ohmigod. Too funny.
I sure am glad I was sixteen years old when I found out the truth.
“Stucky , you tell us about your parents but do you remember your grandparents” —- bb
No. All four were dead before I was born.
Roy
The OT starts right out of the gate with promising stuff. No sooner does God create Adam and Eve and God basically says — “See all this free shit? It’s all your to keep forever. Just don’t eat the fruit of that there tree.” God promises the Jews that they will get a land forever. Even one of the ten commandments comes with a promise. Then Jeebus comes along and he outdoes his dad in promising stuff …. the coolest being Eternal Life. And then when God basically destroys earth, only to create a new one, well … Streets Of Gold, baby!!
A cornucopia of endless goodies … who can resist that?
“Passenger tossed after flipping out over staff’s ‘Merry Christmas’”
What the hell is wrong with people? Why can’t this guy and others just accept the simple greeting in the spirit it is given? It’s not like the staff was telling the guy they hoped his plane crashed or something. Perhaps he’d have been happier if the staff just looked at him and said “Fuck You”?
I’m not religious but I have never been the slightest bit upset with a Christian based greeting or even someone saying they would pray for me or some endeavor I was undertaking. Why would I? They have happy and positive intent. I think it all goes back to my idea that Americans have had it too good for too long. When a person can literally live from cradle to grave without ever facing and real adversity (such as Stucks family experienced), petty little shit like being told “Merry Christmas” or being gay or having a hangnail becomes “adversity” and entitles you to join the victim mentality class. I know that the coming collapse will probably be worse than I can ever imagine it but I welcome it nonetheless as a means to cleanse the country of these fucking retarded pussies.
The asswipe that kicked off the plane should be forced to clean bedpans in a veterans hospital for a month and then I’d be willing to listen to how offensive it is to be told “Merry Christmas”!
IndenturedServant says: Isn’t Halloween in Mexico a religious holiday like All Souls Day where you visit the graves of your ancestors?
Dia de Muertos is a celebration that occurs on All Saints Day – 1 November.
[Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. It was moved to October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide: All Hallows’ Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls’ Day.[2][3] Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. -Wikipedia]
Halloween is called ‘Night of Witches’. I’m not into visiting graves but I’ve heard they do that in Mexico.
For a post deriding the belief in Santa Clausen, some people sure are sensitive about Sanity Clause.
Stucky says:
Roy
The OT starts right out of the gate with promising stuff. No sooner does God create Adam and Eve and God basically says — “See all this free shit? It’s all your to keep forever. Just don’t eat the fruit of that there tree.”
It also starts the story of salvation and a redemptor right out the gate, Cain slays an innocent man. He is banished and regrets that he will lose the connection with God. Being alone he fears anyone might kill him but God provides a mark that he is not to be killed on penalty of worse punishment for the killer. Cain goes on to raise a bunch of heathen kids, Eve gives birth to Seth and his line begins to call on the name of the Lord.
This same story is repeated when the Jews have Jesus crucified. The temple where they called on God is destroyed and they are removed from the land.
The universal flood and backsliding also have a parallel:
a. God’s chosen few are saved while the rest of the world drowns in a flood, Likewise, in the sea of reeds, the Jews are saved and the (some) baddies are drowned.
b. Noah goes back to the old ways by getting drunk and the Jews saved out of Egypt bitch that they miss the scallions and garlic they enjoyed in Pharaoh’s land.
Joseph describes God’s ultimate plan to save more than a few good men. He tells his bros that he was sent into slavery for the salvation of many.
Abraham gets the promise that if there is one innocent man, for him alone God will spare the whole lot of losers (You guys should be nicer to bb, no telling what calamity God may spare us from on account of him).
Stuck, FWIW., my wife thought the video your posted of Silent Night sang in the German tongue was the most beautiful version she’s ever heard and I hafta’ agree….+1000