By: Claire Daly

   Hearts once full of wonder and delight, began to question one quiet night. Magic held so tightly started to fade as hints appeared that lies about Santa were made. Some students and teachers at MRHS still remember the exact moment that the truth behind their beloved man in the red suit and snow-white beard was revealed. 

   As December fills the school with colorful lights and peppermint-scented air, these are the

funny, bittersweet, and sometimes crushing stories of when the Santa myth finally unraveled. The moment of truth hits differently for everyone, and stories from around school reach from teachers to students.

   Math teacher Ms. Roberts remembers a classroom shocker: “One of my elementary school teachers told the whole class that Santa wasn’t real, and I was shocked!” 

   For students, the lead-up to the Santa reveal can be even more devastating. Senior, John Matthai shared a story that will bring you on an adventure…that leads to a heart-shattering end: “When I was eleven or twelve, I stayed overnight at my uncle’s house [on Christmas Eve].. Then I noticed that at 11:00 am, they still had no presents under the tree, but none of my grandparents or my uncle were freaking out that there were no presents. My niece then told me that Santa wasn’t real, but I couldn’t believe her. So, I assumed that Santa still delivered presents to my house.” “Later on, when I went back to my house, there were no presents. I just got a stocking. When I asked my parents where the presents from Santa were, my mom said, ‘Sorry, we forgot this year,’ and that’s when I realized my parents were buying the presents. Not Santa.”

   Ouch. His parents forgot about Christmas, and the white-bearded man he loved turned out to be a fraud. The truth hits hard. It’s not as magical when one realizes that his or her parents have been pulling the strings rather than a jolly man who rides in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. May this story serve as a reminder to parents to check under the Christmas tree one last time on Christmas Eve.

   In rare cases, children finding out the truth about Santa can be more heartbreaking for the parents than for the kids. In this next story, freshman Ellie Horvak shares a story of guilt: “I Googled it, and I found a bunch of stories of how parents were trying to tell their children Santa was real. I was so happy that I figured out Santa wasn’t real, so when I saw my parents I said, ‘Guys! I have an announcement! Santa isn’t real!’ My parents looked so sad after that, so I told them that Santa wasn’t real because he’s a ghost to make them feel better.”

   The thought of one’s child growing out of innocent fantasies can be just as unbearable to parents as not receiving presents from Santa is to kids.

   In the end, the great Santa reveals lands differently for everyone, whether it arrives through the help of the internet or a merciless teacher who likes to crush the imagination of his or her students. For any lingering Santa believers whose holiday magic remains fully intact, this article might unintentionally serve as the reason they find out the truth. Even so, the spirit of those childhood stories lives on, sparkling just as brightly as ever, adding to the holiday cheer that makes the season so special.