No Santa, No Shame: One Father's Fear of the Christmas Lie

My children have never believed in Santa Claus. In our home, Christmas morning looks normal—excited boys, presents under the tree, wrapping paper everywhere. But our tradition has one key difference. This choice is not about morality or being different. It is rooted in fear. I never want my children to think they were "naughty" if money for gifts runs out one year. For many families, Christmas brings financial stress, not joy. A recent poll for the debt charity StepChange found about one in three adults with children will struggle to afford Christmas this year. Behind the festive lights lurk demands many cannot meet. The fear of that guilt shaped our holiday. We removed the myth of a gift-giving Santa, so my sons' joy is never tied to a story they might one day see as a cruel lie.