For many, finding out the truth about Santa marks the end of childhood. After all, realizing that old Saint Nick isn’t real is essentially an end to believing in magic.
Last year, one 10-year-old girl wrote a hilarious, but heartbreaking note to her parents after they were honest with her about Father Christmas.
“You just ruined a 10 year old child’s LIFE thanks,” she wrote. “Nothing will make me feel better. You lied to me about something I loved. That BROKE my heart. #MiddleFingerEmoji.”
The girl's note couldn't be more relatable. Every year on Reddit, users reveal similar sentiments about how they found out Santa Claus isn’t real. While some find out in fairly innocent ways (ie. mom and dad told them), others have far worse experiences.
Here we’ve rounded up some of the worst ways Redditors found out the truth about Santa.
Worst Ways To Find Out The Truth About Santa
Most parents lie to their children about Santa Claus, but a new study published in the Lancet Psychiatry suggests that “lying to children about Saint Nick can undermine the trust in the parent-child relationship.”
Despite this, many people don’t see the harm in keeping the magic alive.
As one Facebook user simply put it, “Just let kids believe in something magical [and] fun, they will have enough reality when they are older!!!”
How did you find out the truth about Santa? Let us know in the comments below!