HOWL HERITAGE

by Hugo Gonzalez and Cassidy Lucas

[singlepic id=41 w=150 h=150 float=left]At a young age we are like sponges to everything our parents say and do. So should a parent LIE to their kid? Should we as a culture lie to our young? The biggest lie told around this time of year is SANTA. Telling kids Santa is real is a bad idea, that can lead to them becoming ungrateful, misunderstanding Christmas, and mistrusting adults.
I believe having an unseen force deliver gifts to kids can make them unappreciative. Instead of thanking their parents for the gifts they received they thank some lie their parents coaxed up! So instead of thinking how their parents worked hard to give the gift, they believe that some magic elf made it in somewhere on the North Pole. A lot of parents make sacrifices to have time for them and to get them things they want, and then they don’t even get a thank you.
Christmas is a fun time of year, I am in no way trying to ruin Christmas. Family should come first when Christmas rolls around, instead of shifting the focus to some overweight old man.
“I used to be a big believer in Santa and everything and I was devastated when I found out he wasn’t real” says HHS’s Brittany Tese-Moe. Someone at some point in a child’s life is going to let that cat out of the bag and tell them that Santa isn’t real, so why not save them the pain, disappointment, and mistrust? This is one of those cases where the TRUTH is worth a whole lot more than fiction.
-Hugo

[singlepic id=55 w=150 h=150 float=left] For many children, Santa will always be a cherished part of their holiday traditions. They will forever remember leaving out milk and cookies, writing letters and mailing them to the North Pole in hopes that Santa’s elves will relay what they want to the big man in charge. Folks will always remember trying to stay up all night in hopes that they’ll catch a glimpse of Santa coming down the chimney, and placing a bundle of presents under the tree, then the next morning running downstairs to see what Santa had left for them.
For myself, I’ve always adored the thought of Santa, even after I found out that he was an imaginary character, concocted from the minds of parents everywhere. But I’ve always thought of it as a beautiful dream that there is something out there bigger than us. Santa is far more than just a made up plump jolly white-bearded man. He represents Christmas and the true meaning of it. He represents selflessness and love. He shows compassion and fully spreads Christmas joy.
I think that by allowing your children to believe in Santa Claus is just showing them how to be selfless and giving. It shows them to be thankful for what they have and to be forever thankful of the things they are given. Even after children grow out of believing in Santa Claus, tiny worker elves, reindeer, Mrs. Claus, and the ridiculously magical North Pole, they still carry over the thoughts of their Santa-filled childhood with them to their adult life and in most cases into their children’s lives.
I think by telling your kids that Santa exists, you’re not lying; you’re simply giving them hope that there are great people out there. I’m almost eighteen and am still a true believer in the Christmas spirit and adore the thought of Santa Claus, so I say, let your kids believe. They may get a tad too hyped about Christmas, but what’s the worst that can happen?
-Cassidy