Common Questions about Santa Claus

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These responses are merely suggestions to help you navigate conversations with inquisitive children. 

You can choose your approach based on the child’s age, their level of understanding, and your preference of how much information you want to reveal. Hopefully, no adult desires to blatantly lie to a child, but we can be creative in our responses in order to allow children to enjoy both some of the secular traditions of Christmas, as well as the true meaning of Christmas….the birth of Jesus Christ. 

As you have hopefully already learned through Santa’s Prayer, the original St. Nicholas was a faithful follower of Jesus. Nicholas’ life and generosity was largely driven by his faith in God and in His Word. There is much to celebrate in regard to his life. 

When your child gets to the age when he/she realizes it may not be a jolly old man in a red suit who is coming into their home with gifts on Christmas Eve, take the opportunity to share with them about Saint Nicholas and why we continue to celebrate his life and his passion for giving at Christmas. It can and should be a natural transition into celebrating the greatest gift ever given, the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s actually a much better next chapter of the story than to say, “Santa Claus isn’t real.” Though he has become more fantastical through time, the historical facts about Saint Nicholas are as true today as they were in the 3rd century. 

Enjoy these marvelous truths and traditions with your children at this wondrous time of year!

Yes. He was originally called St. Nicholas, but now he is known by different names all over the world. In America, we call him Santa Claus. He has thousands of helpers who help him carry out his mission every year.

His life has been celebrated for over 1,700 years. You can see him every year around Christmas time, all over the world, because he has many helpers who make sure children receive gifts at Christmas time.

The Santa Claus you see in movies, in shopping malls and on television is not real. However, those are people dressing up in honor of a man who lived in the 3rd century, who was very real. Because he lived such an amazing life, loving God and loving others, people continue to celebrate his legacy. Giving gifts was one of the many things for which St. Nicholas was known, and so these helpers continue to give gifts in his honor and tradition.

Except in the movies, I have never personally seen a reindeer fly. But, there are stories in the Bible where a donkey talked, ravens brought food to a man, and a large fish swallowed a man in order to keep him from drowning… eventually spitting him out alive on dry land. And someday, the Bible tells us Jesus, Himself, will be riding a horse in the sky. All things are possible with God.

Hollywood can make anyone or anything fly, but God did not make reindeer with wings or with the ability to fly. That small inconvenience, however, does not keep Santa’s helpers from getting gifts to children around the world on Christmas Eve.

“If you don’t believe, you don’t receive.” Santa’s helpers only visit homes around the world where parents and children believe in him.

I would think it would be very difficult for one person to make it to every house in the world delivering gifts in one night, but I imagine if he had a lot of helpers he could pull it off.

I’m certain Santa, himself, does not visit every home in the world on Christmas Eve, but his helpers have certainly made sure there have been gifts at my house every Christmas since I was your age.

I imagine, somewhere, somehow, Santa or one of his helpers has figured out how to get down a chimney, but I would think that would be his last resort.

Parents are pretty good about making sure there’s a way for gifts to make it into the house. Whether it’s the chimney, a window, or even the front or back door, the gifts need to make it inside. And, keep in mind, Santa’s helpers have been figuring this out for centuries. There probably aren’t any obstacles they haven’t already overcome.

Most homes around the world do not have a chimney, so Santa and his helpers are clever to know how to leave presents inside the house.

Parents are pretty good about making sure there’s a way for gifts to make it into the house. Whether it’s the chimney, a window, or even the front or back door, the gifts need to make it inside. And, keep in mind, Santa’s helpers have been figuring this out for centuries. There probably aren’t any obstacles they haven’t already overcome.

In the wild, reindeer eat a variety of plants: leaves, buds, shrubs, moss and grasses which are high in energy and protein.

They have also been known to eat apples, pears, unsalted popcorn, oats, strawberries and other berries.

Though some children leave sweet treats like cookies for reindeer on Christmas Eve, sugars are not good for their stomachs.

No, I am not Santa Claus.

No, but I have been one of Santa’s helpers before. Someday, when you’re older, you may get to be one of Santa’s helpers, too.

Now you know I’m not actually Santa Claus. Is there another question you’re wanting to ask me?

I have been known to put some gifts out on Christmas Eve, but I’m certainly not the only one who does it.

*** An additional resource: Both the original and the re-make of the movie, Miracle on 34 the Street, are wonderful conversation starters for the concept of “faith.”