Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Magical make-believe

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

An age-old tradition, children have been told of the existence of a magical man dressed in red with a happy chubby face who travels the world on Christmas delivering presents to children. At some point, children find out that Santa Claus is not real and that parents and family usually supply these presents.

Sophomore Linda Heffernan found out the truth about Santa on a family trip to her grandmother’s home when she was seven years old. While her parents unloaded bags from the car, a present fell out of the containers her parents were hiding them in.

Heffernan’s brother picked the present up and gave it to their mother and asked about it. The gift tag read, To Linda, From Santa. It was two days before Christmas and Heffernan’s mother told the children that Santa delivered some presents early and the rest were on the way. At that point Heffernan said she figured out that Santa Claus was not real.

It was disappointing at first, she said. But kids get over it. It’s all part of growing up.

Heffernan said she thinks Santa Claus is an important part of the Christmas tradition because he represents someone giving something without taking anything in return, which is the overall theme of Christmas. She still puts out cookies at night and wishes she could still believe in him.

It would be great, she said. I’d get a lot more presents than I do now if Santa was real.

Freshman Sue Collins said she still believes in Santa even though she knows he does not exist. When she was seven or eight years old, Collins said she saw price tags on presents and inferred on her own that the presents really were not from Santa Claus. She said she was disappointed but has gotten over it and still believes in the image and message of Santa.

The world would be better (if Santa was real), she said. People would be happier.

Other students said they have to believe in Santa Claus because of younger siblings. Junior Matt Shadonix, who has a nine-year-old brother, said he was told Santa was not real at an early age from naughty kids at school. It is inevitable that children find out that Santa Claus is not real because many children’s movies such as Santa Clause expose children to the truth, Shadonix said.

But even so, Santa Claus represents the magical and mystical spirit of Christmas, Shadonix said. He said Christmas brings people together on the same level, while not everyone is on the same level with Christianity and its religious tenets.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, `happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!’

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