By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE
Published: 06:45 EST, 9 December 2024 | Updated: 07:33 EST, 9 December 2024
In the days leading up to December 25, it's a question that many parents will repeatedly hear – is Father Christmas real?
Last week an academic waded in on the matter with the controversial claim that the jolly gift giver is a 'preposterous lie'.
But now another expert insists parents should tell kids that Santa exists because it makes Christmas better and encourages a dose of 'healthy suspicion'.
In an article for the Conversation, Tom Whyman, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Liverpool, argues that 'kids need Santa'.
'Without that sweet embellishment, there would be no ritual of writing to him, of leaving out sherry and mince pies, of waiting desperately to see if “he’s been” on Christmas morning,' he says.
'Without the Santa myth, what would Christmas for the average child even be?
'An arbitrary date when they are finally allowed to play with presents their parents maybe bought months in advance – what would be the point?'
Dr Whyman also questions the implications of being 'fully honest' with a child from a young age.
It's a question most of us have asked early in our lives - is Father Christmas real? A philosopher has waded in on the matter with the claim that the jolly gift giver is a 'preposterous lie'
'If I felt compelled to tell my children everything, I would pull no punches in relating the wretched state of the world, of existence, of my still-deepening resignation that nothing positive can be done about it,' Dr Whyman says.
'When you think back to your first experiences of Christmas, do you really think they would have been improved if your parents had been honest about Santa?'.
Meanwhile, Dr Joseph Millum, a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of St Andrews, thinks parents shouldn't tell their children that Santa exists because it 'breaches trust'.
'In healthy parent-child relationships, children trust their parents,' Dr Millum said in his own piece for The Conversation.
'Young children may have absolute trust. That’s why a lie as preposterous as Santa can endure for so long, even in otherwise sceptical children.'
Throughout the year, parents often use the threat of Santa not leaving any presents at Christmas as a tactic to get kids to behave, according to Dr Millum.
But the academic calls this 'manipulative', adding that 'deception is wrong because it breaches trust' – a belief shared by many philosophers.
'Of course, young children don’t have the capacity to make important decisions for themselves, but still, telling children lies to make them behave is manipulative,' he says.
Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas of Myra, who, according to Christian tradition, was a bishop in that small Roman town during the 4th century AD. This image shows a 13th-century depiction of Saint Nicholas from Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, Egypt
St Nicholas: The original Santa Claus
St Nicholas was Bishop of Myrna in what is now Turkey in the 4th century.
He was known for his secret gift giving, such as putting coins into the shoes of people who left them out for him. This practice is still celebrated on his national feast day, December 6.
The bishop was popularized in 6th century Europe as Father Christmas, who secretly gave gifts to young children.
Young Dutch arrivals to the US called Saint Nicholas 'Sinterklaas', which later became Santa Claus.
In modern depictions, he's shown as a portly old bearded man dressed in red and white.
It's an urban myth that Coca‑Cola created the legend of Santa Claus, as is the rumour that Coca‑Cola made Santa red.
Before Coca‑Cola was invented in 1886, Santa had appeared in many illustrations and books wearing a scarlet coat.
'It stops them from deciding for the right reasons. This includes telling a child that they won’t get Christmas presents unless they are good.'
Dr Millum adds that there is 'no solid evidence' that believing in Santa is important for enjoying Christmas when you are a child, contending what Dr Whyman says.
Overall, parents shouldn’t be overly worried about any psychological repercussions of believing in Santa, according to Jared Piazza, lecturer in moral psychology at Lancaster University.
'Children continually take stock of what those around them believe – and actively assess the uniformity of such beliefs to reach conclusions,' he previously said.
Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas of Myra, who, according to Christian tradition, was a bishop in that small Roman town during the 4th century AD.
He is tracked every year on Christmas Eve by the US military, while a recent study even worked out the carbon footprint of his journey.
Another festive study found his sleigh could fly even without magic, albeit with a few technological adaptations.
According to a study published last year, the average age when disbelieving about Santa begins is eight years old, but most kids intend to celebrate Santa with their own children later in life.
In an attempt to find out the truth, young internet users have been turning to Google Search by typing 'does Santa exist?'
Last year, Jake Moore, tech expert and security advisor at ESET, said his daughter Googled the big question 'is Father Christmas real?' and was dismayed by the results
But last Christmas, Google was slammed for giving the Scrooge-worthy reply: 'There is no man in the sky riding a sleigh pulled by reindeers'.
The top response was a blog post by Hotel Chocolat, which said 'there is no man in the sky riding a sleigh pulled by reindeers', although it acknowledged Santa Claus 'isn't a completely made-up person'.
Since the outrage, Google Search appears to have tweaked its algorithm to be more in-keeping with the festive spirit.
Now searching the words 'is Santa real' leads to a post by Parade.com showing as the top result, which reads: 'According to historical records, Santa is real.'
According to a 2019 report by Exam Paper Plus, 1.1 million children are told on Google Search that Saint Nick is a fictitious character.
However, it found smart assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are more considerate and creative when it comes to their responses to the query, neither confirming nor denying the truth.
Santa's sleigh COULD fly... with a few major modifications
As children will tell you, Santa uses some kind of magic to complete the 99 million mile journey around the world at Christmas.
But a 2022 study found his sleigh could potentially fly without such special abilities, albeit with a few major modifications.
These include the wings from a commercial liner and an engine from a Saturn V rocket, as used by NASA under the Apollo program.
Santa's sleigh could potentially fly if it had a few major modifications, including a pair of wings similar to those on a commercial aeroplane and an engine with the equivalent thrust to that produced by NASA's Saturn V rocket or 150 Boeing 747-400 airliners
It would also have to move at 12,300 miles per hour (5,500 metres per second) - around 10 times the speed of sound - to generate enough lift.
The study was written by physics students at the University of Leicester, inspired by a scene in the 2003 movie Elf, in which Santa Claus has to rely on a jet engine to power his sleigh.
'We have concluded that Santa's jet engine must be extremely powerful and as a result he and the elves must have access to advanced technologies,' said co-author Ryan Rowe.