My rant about Santa

Santa, you're pissing me off!!!

I really resent how much my children adore Santa.  They are totally fixated on this vision of some man who is going to magically deliver them presents on Christmas Eve.  They don't give much thought to all the gifts that their grandparents and aunt and uncle give them every year, no!  It's all about Santa.  What is Santa going to bring?  What if Santa gets sick, will he still bring us presents?  etc. etc....

I just HATE how totally materialistic society is, and my sons totally play into it all.  Santa is just a big fat excuse for people to overspend on Christmas.  Not only do you have to buy gifts with YOUR name on it, you also have to buy gifts with HIS name on it.  It's such a big fat LIE.  I really hate perpetuating this stupid lie.  And, I feel totally pressured into doing so.  My family would think I was the worst mother in the world if I burst the stupid Santa bubble.  But it's not about the "magic" and "wonder" of Christmas.  It's just about how many friggin TOYS can one child get in one day.  It's all about the toys.  Santa should be called, "Show Me The Money, Mom".... just give me as much crap as I want, and then some.  That's what my kids want.  I'm pretty sure that's what every kid wants.

My kids are so materialistic, they think that THEY should receive gifts on EVERYONE else's birthday.  They think that they should receive a gift EVERY friggin DAY!  Yes, really.  They honestly do.

Well, mostly it's my oldest son.  He's the instigator, and the youngest just follows his lead.

And then, I feel guilty because I can't provide them with every thing they could possibly want.  And that's just ridiculous   I feel like I need to maintain this image of a very generous Santa, even though it's beyond my means.  If they knew the gifts were just from ME, I could explain that I can't afford any more.  But how can I explain that SANTA, this magical fictitious character that has magical fictitious elves manufacturing anything and everything that little girls and boys could ever wish or dream of, well how can I explain that HE lives in poverty and can't afford all the crap they would like.  He's supposedly magical!  He doesn't even need money to provide gifts!

If ONLY...........

I actually like the ideal of a traditional Christmas, a faith-based Christmas, with more emphasis on the Nativity than on the Jolly Old Elf.

I would even abolish all images of Santa from our home if it would help.  But it wouldn't.

Oh!!!!!!!! Save me from this most ridiculous of all cultural norms.  Save me from consumerism.  Somehow let me find a way to make Christmas less about the STUFF under the tree, and more about what really matters, LOVE.