Christmas is just around the corner and we are getting older. Most of us (hopefully) have come to the sad realization that our beloved Santa Claus is in fact a fictional character made up by our parents and their parents before them. Some of us may have never believed in Santa, but many students recall the crushing moment when they found out that Santa Claus was a fraud.
Sophomore Drew McFadden remembers the exact moment when he found out that Santa was a fake. He thought back and said that, “On one Christmas, when I was eight years old, I opened my presents and my mom told me to go thank my grandma for a specific present. I was confused because the present said ‘From Santa’. So I questioned my mom and asked her why I should thank my grandma when it was Santa who got me the present? Of course, my mom stumbled with her words and realized her mistake. That’s when I knew it was all a lie!”
Senior, Josh Gellinger says, “I was at the mall when I was about six years old. I was on Santa’s lap and the Santa asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted to be a big kid, so I could drive and stuff. So then he said, ‘We can start now,’ and he pulled down his beard to reveal that he was a fraud.”
Senior Jessica Harness says, “I always knew he wasn’t real because my presents always said, ‘from Santa’ in my parents’ handwriting.”
Senior Shay Anderson-Quitugua says, “When I was about eight years old my cousins told me he wasn’t real. They said that he died ten years ago after he crashed with his sleigh into a skyscraper in New York. To this day, that’s my theory.”
Senior Brooklynn Altig says, “My brother got a drum set for Christmas one year that said ‘from Santa’. I remember opening our pantry and finding the empty drum set boxes. I confronted my mom and asked her why we had the boxes from the gift from Santa. That’s when the truth all came out. “
Freshman Wyatt Luedecker says, “When I was about ten, I heard my parents in the middle of the night talking and wrapping my gifts. It was pretty disappointing when I realized that they were the ones giving me the gifts instead of Santa.”
Junior Brittany Koontz says, “I found out a little later in life; in third grade. I remember I really wanted the soundtrack to the Lizzie McGuire movie and I knew I was going to get it, because my parents told me that Santa already had it. On Christmas Eve my dad said I it was coming, it just wouldn’t be there until morning because Santa was running late. The next day I didn’t get it. I ended up finding it in the couch, unwrapped. I asked my dad why it was in the couch, and that’s when he finally had to tell me that Santa wasn’t real.”
Now we must hold our heads high and live with the harsh reality that on Christmas Eve a magical, jolly man will not be squeezing down our chimneys to give us gifts. In fact, the noises you hear downstairs are more likely coming from a burglar than Santa. At least we still have food to look forward to.