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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

Santa sceptics and the real tooth fairy

Santa Claus on a mission in New Delhi, 25 December 2023.
‘I was horrified to read your revelations regarding Santa.’ Photograph: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

I don’t remember when I learned the truth about Santa Claus (Psychologists pinpoint average age children become Santa sceptics, 22 December), but I remember when my older son learned about the tooth fairy.

“Are you or mum the tooth fairy?” he asked when he was six and, when I said “It depends who’s not busy,” he shouted: “I knew there wasn’t a tooth fairy.”
Alec Sandison
Ottery St Mary, Devon

• At a very young age my granddaughter Zoe said to her mother: “Mum, that God stuff in the Bible – it’s just stories, isn’t it?” But her belief in both the tooth fairy (boosted by dad once leaving a £10 note) and Santa Claus, mysteriously, are continuing well into her teens.
David Erdal
Glenuig, Highland

• My youngest son, in his first term at school, said: “Mum, I want to know the truth about Father Christmas.” So I revealed the bitter truth. He said: “I’m not really surprised. Every question I’ve asked, you’ve given me a straight answer. But you’ve always been cagey about Father Christmas.”
Judith Furner
Eastbourne, East Sussex

• When a friend told me Santa was my father, I was impressed he was able to deliver presents to everyone.
Andrew Simms
Bovingdon, Hertfordshire

• I was horrified to read your revelations regarding Santa. I had my stocking up already!
Richard Barnard, 70¾
Wivenhoe, Essex

• My two children were born in the early 1970s. Throughout their childhood, the mantra was “if you don’t believe, you don’t get”. Simple.
David Shannon
Ashton under Hill, Worcestershire

• Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

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