How old were you when you realised Santa didn't exist?

hey this is nice story to see, but dear in India we generally don't celebrate so much but this fascination takes long time to understand. we used to think that since it is a western festival so definitely there the Santa with come on reindeer and would be distributing the gifts to the children. we used to think why did not it happen in India so that we can also get some gift. Atleast snow

We were raised on fairy tales, all of which had a particular moral, and we knew very early on the Santa was a fictional character that was as real as we made him and that the values he portrayed were the magic in him, so we never had that bump or hump that some children have to get over. Only after having been an adult for quite some did did I realize that some people still don't get that. My husband's family, for example, had no exposure as children to fairy tales. As a result, he isn't as interested in symbolic things as I am, and is generally more of a pessimist. For me, then, the magic never went away. That is probably why I get pretty annoyed when people want to update Santa's image.

I was about 7 I think and i dunno how I found out. I just sorta figured it out on my own but I wasn't upset or anything. I actually was kinda happy that now I could help set out the presents and eat the cookies that we put out for Santa!

i was told at about age 6 by some mean step-aunts i had. they ruined it for me i was traumatized. plus i have 5 lil sisters so i had to keep up the illusion until a few years ago until the littlest one found out. i was madddddd that it got ruined so early

I was between 12 and 13 when I found out Santa doesn't really exist. Between the ages of 12 and 13 was when I made my transition from elementary school into jr. high, so all of my friends would joke about Santa around Christmastime. It made me really think about things. Ever since I was a kid, I'd wondered how an overweight man could squeeze into chimneys and what he would do at houses that didn't have chimneys. What about people overseas who live in huts and are in different time zones? Christmas movies always portray Santa and Christmas events differently also. All my wondering turned into the fact that I had come to the right conclusion - Santa wasn't real. He and his story were made up to entertain young children and give them something to look forward to. I wasn't at all disappointed to find out this news (unlike many other people I know) because I'd figured it all one myself for one thing. Another reason is because my parents always got us separate gifts from Santa, then a bazillion more gifts from "just them." When I found out all of those gifts were from my parents, just think how much better I thought of them! (I also thought they were extremely rich, but it's kind of funny how much things can seem bigger to a young kid!) Once Santa Claus was out of the picture for me, I was still able to (and still do!) enjoy the Christmas season. I still get just as many gifts from my parents too! We still put stockings on the chimney hearth for the benefit of my 10-year-old sister who hasn't quite figured things out yet. I think we will continue doing so even after she finds out because it's family tradition. I guess it all boils down to the fact that Christmas isn't all about Santa Claus. It's about the real meaning, and spending time with family and friends. Those who still think it's all about a fictional character will be very disappointed! Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the Christmas movies, though!

I know you will probably laugh, but when I hit 16 I was finally told the truth, and that Santa was only alive in my heart. That when(if) I have children I have to protect the magic and pass the tradition on. But when that magic was gone for me Christmas was never the same. I still say I believe in Santa.. I always will even though I know the truth.

When i grew up we were never taught that there was a Santa.We knew from the very beginning that Santa did not exist..We knew about Santa and we knew he was a symbol of Christmas but we were taught mother and daddy was Santa.So if that is the innocence of being a child then i missed out because my mother always taught us that that was not true.I suppose that magic was not part of my childhood.I will never know what it feels like to believe in santa.

I can't pinpoint any specific age when I found out, but just seemed to come to the realization over time. My daughter figured it out herself, after watching a t.v. program, but I can't remember her age either, when this specifically happened. One of my favourite explanations regarding 'Santa's existence' can be found at the link below. http://www.wisdomportal.com/Enlightenment/yesVirginia.html

My fourth grade teacher told us as a class and said we were too old to still believe in him. I was crushed, as were some other kids. I still wonder if any parents complained. It was a bit cruel really.

It actually happened twice. When I was probably 6 or 7, I started questioning all the logical stuff and was on the verge of declaring Santa a fraud. My parents thought it was too soon and actually had a friend come over all dressed up, while I stayed up all night to wait on a Santa I didn't think existed. Low and behold, he did....I can still remember that night with crystal clear memory. He was the spitting image of all things Santa from appearance to his laugh to the way his eyes twinkled when I opened a present with him. It was a magical night, to say the least, and reinforced my belief for many years. In fact, so long that my parents actually sat me down later on to tell me he wasn't real and what happened that night. Still yet, it's that image that has kept the Christmas spirit alive for me and I do whatever I can to keep young kids believing and loving it. Heck, at times I think there is still a Santa....odd things occur that can only be explained by a Santa Claus.

Santa doesn't exist? How do you know?Santa is a spirit, if you will, and he exists if you believe. Maybe he doesn't really come down your chimney and leave you presents and gifts you've always wanted, but that doesn't mean he doesn't exist. It's really sad how quick people are to stop believing in things and take life far too seriously.

I found out when I was about 10 to. My family stayed up all night long. When I was told we all had to sleep in order for santa to come. Then I relized there was no santa. A part of me still belives and my kids belive to. Happy Holidays.

I was 10 years old also - The way it happened with me was, when it was time to go to bed so that Santa could come, I never went to sleep. You see my Grandparents always woke me up after Santa had supposedly left. Anyway, I would pretend to be asleep, and I would hear noises. After my grandparents come into my room to wake me, I would dash down stairs to see my gifts, I noticed that the gifts that Santa brought me were wrapped in the same wrapping paper that my grandparents had. (Hmmm)....I had question them about it, along with other odd stuff that had happened. they said to me, OK you know that Santa won't come any more. and that was the end of it for me. LOL!

I was about 4 or 5 when I saw my dad out of the bedroom window remove a brand new bike from the trunk of his car and put it in the next door neighbor's garage. After Christmas morning I told my mom about what I had witnessed 2 days before and she said Santa just delivered it to your dad because he couldn't make the trip that year. Mrs. Clause was sick and he had to take care of her. I recall hearing a faint yelp of 'OWWWWWA' from my dad after mom shoved him in their bedroom because she had to "tell him something." My Mother was a genious to think of that story right on the spot! Until I left my home for college when I was 19 she would still try to convince me Santa existed.

What do you mean Santa doesn't exist! I can't believe you just said that. I'm so sad now. In our home, we will never say he doesn't exist, even if you ask my 22 year old daughter, she'll still tell you she believes. I teach my children that he's a feeling in your heart and you should always believe in the spirit of Santa. I know that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas but I still think believing in Santa keeps the spirit alive too. I was 9, we were leaving for midnight Mass when mom had to go back in the house to get her purse...every year mom and dad would take us to Service Merchandise so we could pick out one thing we really wanted from Santa, I picked out a hot pink sleeping bag with a gray lining...when mom went in to get her purse, which was taking FOREVER...I saw my hot pink sleeping bag move across the room in front of the full length window. I never said a word to anyone, but I was devastated when we got home, Santa had been there and had left me my sleeping bag. I loved the presents, but I was so disappointed that I had found out. To this day I never told my parents or my sisters. Now that both of my parents are gone (mom, just 10 months ago yesterday) I'm sure they know, and I know they are happy that I didn't spoil it for everyone else. My son is 9 and he still believes, even though he has several friends who say they don't...yesterday he said one of his friends told him that his parents buy his presents, I told him, that there's no way we could afford the presents that Santa brings, and he said, I know, and you guys don't write like he does either...boy I'm good!

Well, I never believed in Santa. My parents never intended to tell us there was a Santa or that there wasn't one. But when I was a baby, my sister was two, and she caught my parents wrapping the Christmas presents in the living room. After that they just flat out explained the situation to us (me when I could actually talk lol). We WERE told to never tell any other child about the lack of santa being real. My parents did not want other kid's fun to be ruined. I however did ruin one kid's santa fixation. I mean, he was 12! I thought a 12 year old would know! I was 13 and I just casually mentioned when kids believe in santa, and I totally ruined it for him. But twelve? He wasn't slow or handicapped, he just was gullible I guess.

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Not until when I reach highschool.Nobody told me though.I remembered one night my Mom trying to put candies on my socks in the Christmas tree.That's how I learned it, next morning my mother explained to me about it! Today, I don't practice it to my children, instead I give my personal gifts myself.It's kinda' deceiving ang fabricating facts.That's just me anyway!

I really don't remember, I remember I was getting presents each Christmas when I was little (I still do) but I don't remember if I thought those presents came from Santa or from someone else. I also remember sitting in Santa's lap asking him to get me a bicycle but I honestly don't know how old I was and if I already knew there was a man behind this costume. I was scared of Santa and sometimes I screamed like crazy when I saw him. I don't remember that but my parents told me that. That's why I think that they told me pretty early that Santa wasn't real and that that was just a man who was very this read suite and white beard. But even knowing this didn't help much as I would still scream when I saw him. Children can really be strange sometimes.

I was about 8 or 9 years old when my teacher told me there was no Santa. I was crushed. I felt like my parents had tricked me! I remember that my feelings were really hurt. I also really wanted to continue to believe. My daughter is 7 and she already knows there is no Santa. Many kids in her class seem to know that there is no Santa as well. I remember being devastated when my husband told our then 2 year old daughter that there was no Santa. She simply chose to ignore him, especially when he insisted. However, her belief in Santa since then of course has been very tenuous. I also believe that telling her so early about Santa has robbed her of some of the majic of childhood.