Christmas is one of the important Western holidays. It is believed that Santa Claus rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to well-behaved children, putting them in the stockings and eating the cookies they leave out. However, a priest in Hampshire, England, told primary school students that Santa Claus is not real, shattering their dreams and causing them to cry. Eventually, the priest apologized to the school and parents for his “inappropriate comments”.
According to The Guardian, the priest, named Paul Chamberlain, visited Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School and spoke to a group of sixth-grade students during a religious education class. These students are around 10 or 11 years old.
Chamberlain was supposed to talk about the birth of Jesus, but he expanded his remarks to mention that Santa Claus is not real. He told the students that it is their parents who place the gifts and eat the cookies they prepare, not Santa Claus.
Upon hearing Chamberlain’s words, some children cried on the spot and even complained to their parents. He was accused of “ruining Christmas”.
A parent told The Times, “I don’t know how this can be fixed, but I find it absolutely disgusting. I don’t want him near my daughter. I hope he never comes to the school again.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Portsmouth stated that they were aware of Chamberlain speaking in the school’s religious education class. After discussing the birth of Jesus in the Bible, he made some comments about the existence of Santa Claus.
Chamberlain admitted his mistake and that he should not have done that. He apologized unreservedly to the school, parents, and children, and the principal immediately wrote a letter to all parents explaining the situation.
The spokesperson mentioned that the school and the diocese are working together to address the issue. The school principal has now written a second letter to parents, conveying Chamberlain’s apologies.
Similar incidents have also occurred in the United States. On Christmas Eve in 2019, a substitute teacher at PS 321 in Brooklyn, New York, told first-grade students aged 5 to 6 that “Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy” do not exist.
This upset parents. One parent complained to News 12, saying, “This kind of thing – like lying to children – is harmful. Christmas is only three weeks away! The children are only 6 years old!”
The school principal told the media that they will take this matter seriously and investigate the substitute teacher.
As for whether adults should debunk this beautiful lie and tell children that Santa Claus is not real, opinions vary.
The Washington Post previously quoted astronomer Kelsey Johnson’s opinion. Johnson, a board member of the American Astronomical Society and a mother, believes that the Santa Claus fairy tale not only confuses children’s critical thinking but also causes long-term harm in society.
However, another perspective suggests that allowing children to believe in the existence of Santa Claus helps with their imagination development.