Bah Humbug!
A British mom says she has no problem being labeled a shameless Scrooge for telling her three children that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
Michelle Foulia, 49, who hails from Wales, said it felt wrong to deceive her three children about St. Nick’s existence, particularly because she could never explain the inequality of gifts given out to different families on Dec. 25.
“Lying to my children never felt right, not even for ‘fun’,” Foulia — who is an author — told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “They never believed in Santa.”
“How do you explain to a child that Santa gave the neighbors’ kids new phones and gave your kids a stuffed toy and sweets?” she asked.
Foulia added that the whole story surrounding Santa Claus gives her “the creeps.”
Not only does the Foulia family not believe in St. Nick, the clan don’t bother putting up a Christmas tree or any other kind of festive decorations.
Foulia suffers from ADHD and says she finds such decor — in addition to the entire Yuletide season itself — overwhelming.
“Not only are you dealing with visiting friends and family, but you are trying to do your shopping with Christmas lights galore, Christmas music on repetition which is just unbearable, crowds, and noise and smells,” she complained. “It is everywhere – you cannot escape it.”
“All this crazy spending, stress, food waste, conflict in families, debt, family fallouts, marriage breakdowns, all happening around Christmas because of a fantasy we have somehow bought into,” the mom further moaned.
Foulia’s children, Mihalis, Vangelis, and Areti, are now aged in their teens and early twenties, but don’t believe they missed out on an important part of childhood.
Instead of celebrating traditionally, the family has adopted their own Dec. 25 rituals, spending quality time together without the stress of giving each other extravagant gifts.
“We noticed how much calmer we all were, how we used the time to be more connected, to do more meaningful things together and to carve out that family time our way, not conforming to anyone’s standards but our own,” Foulia declared. “It has been wonderfully peaceful, calm, and liberating.”
“We use the day as a time of connection, to reflect on the year that has passed, to go for a walk if we feel like it, to discuss plans for the future, to evaluate everything and prepare for the new year ahead,” she added.
“We will chat, laugh, maybe play some games, maybe not, it’s very relaxed with no expectations.”