Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and it gives a warm fuzzy feeling to everyone. Let’s begin with something we all know is true: Santa Claus is real. During the Christmas season, no figure is more iconic to children than Santa Claus. Father Christmas is a legend that grew popular over the years but Santa was once a real man, who was later regarded as religious figure and got transformed into the Santa we know. The real name of Santa Claus was Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle whose story dates back to 3rd century. Popular accounts say St. Nicholas gave away his inheritance and travelled the countryside to help the poor and sick.  Over the years Nicholas became popular for his good deeds and came to be known as the protector of children. His feast day was also traditionally considered as a lucky day to make large purchases or for marriage purposes.

Christmas for grownups might mean rum and plum cakes, but rewind back to childhood and the struggle to be on Santa Claus good list is real. While most yearly Christmases meant chasing Santa at schools and family gatherings, coming-off age revealed that the exercise was a futile one, for realisation struck that Santa was nothing but a fictional character. So when do children grow out of the aura of the potbellied hero of their time. According to an International Study conducted by a psychologist, the threat of being on Santa’s naughty list doesn’t work for many children. For some, questioning the existence of Santa Claus would mean losing out on gifts. It might be there – somewhere at the back of their mind – if Santa is not real their presents will be gone. So they don’t venture into that territory. Parents made their children believe Santa was real so that they wait for Christmas Eve thinking Father Christmas would come in the night and give them the gift of their joys.

Taking Santa as a character who delivers presents every Christmas Eve, it turns out his origins are far from fiction. Parents teach their children the importance of being polite and well behaved throughout the year in hopes of making his ‘nice list.’ Children sing songs about him and set out a plate of holiday cookies for his arrival. It’s believed that Santa's elves work all yearlong in Santa’s workshop making toys for children all over the world. Throughout the year, Santa Claus keeps two lists of girls and boys, a good list and a bad list. Santa watches over children to see if they have been good or bad. He travels all over the world on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. It’s told he is over thousand years and it’s the magic of Christmas that keeps him alive and well. Let your child believe in Santa as long as they can! After all, what could be more fun than sipping hot chocolate in your Christmas socks, listening to jingle bells and waiting for Santa’s sleigh to come with presents? Santa, being internationally recognised as a selfless giver reminds people that giving is a wonderful part of Christmas and more importantly in life in general. It’s so important because the feeling you experience when you do something that causes joy to other people is just inexplicably wonderful.

The Santa’s naughty or nice list becomes a huge thought in a child’s mind as Christmas comes around the corner. The story goes that the good little girls and boys that are on the nice list get the gifts that they asked Santa for, whereas the boys and girls who made into the naughty list receive coal as punishment. This story typically is told to us in a catchy tune that we hum or by somebody we love and trust. Any child who believes in Santa, this is a very big deal. By making their behavior directly affect the presents they receive is a positive reinforcement and encourages that behavior in the long run. Believing the stories of Santa Claus requires a creative imagination on the child’s part. It can’t be easy to close your eyes and see a group of large reindeer leading a sleigh through the night sky with a large old man in red and large bag of presents riding in it. Santa sliding down a small chimney that may or may not have a fire at bottom is something that requires a remarkable amount of imagination. Having an imagination that big can be used for more than just imagining holiday figure. If a person develops a strong enough imagination they can imagine anything – even the seemingly impossible. During childhood, imagination blurs the line between fantasy and reality, making it easier for children to believe. The idea of believing without seeing is fundamental to being human. Children with imaginary friends realise that those friends aren't real people but they pretend to play with them and tell people about them because that fantasy is enjoyable and rewarding. Fantasies are healthy as long as its limited to good intention. Young children spend a lot of their time pretending, even when they know something is not real. So they play with toy vegetables or pour water in a cup and pretend its tea. It’s the same with Santa Claus.

While there are many benefits to protecting children's belief in Santa, it is not correct to lie to children about his existence. Children have varied reaction to discovering about the Santa. Discovering the truth about Santa is part of growing up and a sign that the child is developing critical thinking skills. Some say Santa Claus is an imaginative play which is good for kids. Some say the Santa Claus tradition specifically, tracking Santa’s journey across the globe and imagining him stopping in the homes of children. Kids grow up through developmental phase where they figure out the rules of the physical world and often apply magical explanations to things they don't quite understand. Santa Claus gives children an escape from the harsh reality of today’s world. He gives kids something to believe in. The look on children’s face, when they wake up on Christmas morning, fulfills not only their hearts but even for others around them. This is the true meaning of Christmas, and without Santa Claus, it wouldn’t be the same.

The task of fulfilling the dreams of millions of children's is not an easy one. It requires many trusted helpers. These helpers include parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and of course elves and reindeer. Reindeer plays an important role in the scheme of things. Without the famous Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, Santa would not have any transportation. They fly faster than a speeding bullet, yet never seem to miss a single home. Together Santa, elves and the reindeer work to make the miracles of Christmas happen. It's that time of the year again – Silent Night, Holy night, Peace on Earth- Jingles all the Way.