Students Question Santa Beliefs

The legitimacy of Santa Claus is a prevalent debate amongst children of all ages, with at least fifty-three poll respondents of Mandan High School’s student body under the belief that St. Nicholas truly presides in the North Pole. One side of the debate argues that Santa Claus is a fallacy, a construct created by parents who want to manipulate their child’s behavior. However, the other presents rebuts to the Santa Claus skeptics.

An anonymous source brings the hit song, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Harry Reser as a claim to Santa Claus’s existence.

“I point you to the hit song, ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ This song proves not only that Santa is real, but that he is also coming to town. Many non-believers try to say that this song is merely a work of fiction, and to that I say blasphemy,” Anonymous said. “Why would the Jackson 5 and all others who have sang this spectacular song lie about Saint Nick’s existence? They would gain nothing from fabricating this lie.”

A number of students have had their parents admit to them of the Santa Claus sham. The parents of senior Gabriela Martin have never let her believe in fictional figures, admitting her childhood was aloof.

“My parents never let me believe in any characters like the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, because they didn’t want to teach me ‘about lying to children about real and fiction,’” Martin said. “Hence, why I’ve never been allowed to believe in Santa Claus. My childhood was very grim.”

Martin still keeps the Christmas spirit while she finds silver linings in her stern childhood.

“I think the silver lining is that I know I can create that happy environment for my family, and I can show the people I love how much I love them because I never had that growing up,” Martin said. “My holiday spirit is a lot of baking cookies and watching all the stupid Hallmark movies.”

Mandan High School has come to the general consensus that Santa Claus is a con. Sophomore Anna Sheese tries to believe in spirit.

“I know he isn’t real but I believe in spirit. I’ve had multiple experiences. When I was three, my siblings and I went to see Santa,” Sheese said. “He knew things my parents couldn’t even tell him. He made key chains appear out of nowhere, and made a hat from crushing a piece of paper.”

Sheese confesses to how she came to the conclusion that Santa Claus is a fraud.

“My older brother already knew, and he was watching me. We snooped through the presents, and I realized that those were the same presents we got from Santa,” Sheese said. “I asked my parents, and they told me the truth.”

Martin shares that Christmas may not be for everyone, but it’s important to appreciate loved ones.

“Christmas isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay,” said Martin. “It’s important to take time and show love to others, and yourself however you see fit.”

Whether someone believes in Santa Claus or not, the holiday spirit is alive and well in Mandan High School.