How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?

October 26, 2009 12:45pm CST
I was quite young when I stopped believing in Santa. My sister was 6 years old and her 8 year old friend told her that Santa wa a lie and it was the parents who bought the gifts for us kids. She was in tears and ran to our mother who thought it was better to tell her the truth as she'd already been told. Unfortunately little 4 year old me overheard the conversation. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa? Who told you? Were you upset?
15 responses
@jesssp (2712)
• Canada
26 Oct 09
I was probably 10 or 11, maybe even 12 when I found out. I was starting to figure it out and remember finally asking my mom when we were driving somewhere if Santa was BS. She didn't confirm nor deny, just listened to my little kid reasoning and logic. That Christmas Eve I was watching TV with my dad later at night, probably around 11 pm, and he went downstairs, came back with 'Santa's' presents and put them under the tree. We didn't say a word too each other about it and I knew that my suspicions had been correct. It wasn't devastating or anything, just the end of a chapter in my childhood. Plus I was right and even back then I enjoyed knowing that!
28 Oct 09
It must be hard for parents to realise their kids suddenly grow up and can tell things like this aren't true!
• Uruguay
27 Oct 09
In my personal case it was pretty much the same but a lot younger XD, i never felt wrong about it, just a little afraid there could be no more presents, if my parents find out i really didn´t believe in Santa anymore
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
26 Oct 09
I guess i was somewhere between 5 and 6 when i saw my mum putting in the daily december presents in the giftsock.... But i never really said so because i wanted the daily presents still... :D Ive always liked to wrap up presents...
28 Oct 09
That was certainly a give away! But at least you got the pressies!
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
28 Oct 09
Exactly.... Im though confident about the fact my parents thought i would allready be asleep when they hang up the present, but like every other child i wanted to see Santa with my own eyes...
@ivbsav (193)
• Indonesia
27 Oct 09
I never believe in Santa even when I was a child because I never receive any gifts from this old man. LoL
28 Oct 09
No gifts? That's a shame. I bet you didn't believe in him than!
@zzyw87 (1254)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
I was around 10 years old when I realized there was no Santa. When I found out, I was also upset but not too much. I was also disappointed because I really thought there was such a super nice person who just leave gifts, slide through chimneys, and rides a sleigh pulled by reindeers. I found out accidentally when I saw my mom put some gifts inside my Christmas stocking. I saw it when I was on my way to the bathroom at around 11 in the evening.
28 Oct 09
It is a kind of naivety we lose - believing that someone is so kind that he dedicates his life to bringing gifts.
@junmae (1586)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
I never believed in Sanata because my mom always told me that he doesnt really exists. She wake me up in that belief that he is not true and just a story.
28 Oct 09
Whilst I understand it, I would want to give my children the magic of believing in Santa when they are young.
@codris (781)
• Italy
27 Oct 09
i believe in santa also now! no i'm joking, i stopped to believe in santa when i was about 7-8 years old, beacause i've seen my parents put some presents under the tree, so i understood that sanda is only an invection. when i was young i put some oranges and a glass of milk under the tree and in the morning when i got up i found their skin and the empty glass. My parents told me that santa ate and drunk them.
28 Oct 09
Reading those comments parents really have to be more careful not to be spotted!
@laiza14 (593)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
i stopped believing in santa when i was in 4th grade. as far as i can remember,when i was in 3rd grade, it was when santa didn't give me presents anymore and my mother was telling me its because santa is becoming forgetful because he is already old but my younger sister had a present, so i started thinking about it. on the next christmas, that was the time my mother and i went to the mall to shop for the things we are going to put on my sister's socks. ugh. that was so embarassing, thinking about those letters i made for "santa"..
28 Oct 09
What a sad story...
@CRSunrise (2981)
• United States
26 Oct 09
I'm not sure I ever quit believing in the subject of Santa. I know that Santa isn't a real, skin and bones, type of person. However, I believe in the spirit of Santa...the spirit of kindness, and so on. I'm not sure if this really answers your question, but this is how I feel.
28 Oct 09
The spirit of santa. You're right - maybe Santa represents more than gifts, but also happiness and kindness. Nice thought.
• Southend-On-Sea, England
26 Oct 09
I think I was about 6 or 7 when I stopped believing. I can remember saying to my parents that I thought he didn't exist, and they confirmed it. I wasn't upset, as I suspected it anyway.
28 Oct 09
I think that's the best way to find out - you were ready for it.
@jellymonty (2352)
26 Oct 09
Well I never heard of Santa till I was about 13 years old when I watched the Santa clause movie. I thought it was a great story to cheer me up from the miserable street life I grew up in where nobody really told me anything like that. So in my case I've never believed in Santa clause at all
28 Oct 09
I hope you have a happier life now and can catch up on some of the magic life gives us.
@marrie1 (255)
• United States
26 Oct 09
I was about 8 or 9 when I got told but I still am a kid at hart so I don't believe in santa but I know at hart that whenI play that role, I am doing something fun.
28 Oct 09
Right - not believing any more doesn't mean not being able to enjoy the illusion.
@edxcast (1168)
• Ecuador
26 Oct 09
Never believe on santa, its didnt go accord the way my parents raised me. Santa doesnt represent what CHRISTmas is. The name itself says it, Christmas is about the birth of Christ. And nobody never had to tell me, they just needed to confirm my suspects of what i was thinking.
28 Oct 09
No, christmas isn't about Santa Clause and gifts, but for a lot of people it is part of their childhoo.
@dods33 (119)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
I Think I Stopped Believing In Santa when I was 8 Years Of Age. For That Time I Realized That THe Saying Of My Older Brothers THat I Didn't Follow THeir Request They Didn't Gave Anything They Promise a Santa Giv'n To Me
28 Oct 09
Good age to find out I think.
• Uruguay
27 Oct 09
I find out that Santa weren´t real when i was about 4 to 5, i were suspicious and spyed to realize it was my parents all the time!, but i weren´t that dissapointed, and i didn´t tell anybody at home because i was afraid there will be no presents if i didn´t believe in Santa, what a greedy kid can a only child be!
28 Oct 09
What a cute childrens logic - I can imagine it though. No longer believing in Santa - no need to get more gifts. I guess it felt safer to be quiet!
• United States
26 Oct 09
I was around 11 or so. For some reason at that point I started to question everything that my parents had told me and decided it was my quest on finding out whether or not things were rationally right or wrong. At the time it probably wasn't what I was telling myself but it helped me figure out that I didn't believe in Santa and it helped me decide that I wasn't going to be socialized by my parents to believe in religion, and other societal beliefs like whether or not other races are bad, if homosexuals are bad, what our economy needs to be etc. My parents never did anything to make me not believe, but in my mind I just didn't see how it was possible and it was more possible that they were lying just like they lied about where babies came from.
28 Oct 09
I guess that's an age when we start questionning things. When we wonder how things can be we start understanding that some things are just not real.