Do you remember when you first learned about Santa Claus? Maybe you were skeptical, or perhaps the idea of a jolly man delivering presents on Christmas Eve night entranced you. If you celebrate the ever so anticipated holiday in December, then you probably know exactly who Chris Kringle is and the story that your parents engraved into your brain from a young age. You may even recall the dreaded, “I am going to call Santa!” quote from your parents when misbehaving. It makes one wonder whether the beloved Santa Claus tradition is anything more than a blackmailing device parents used across the globe.  

 “I remember, when I was five, my mom told me that if I did not eat every single thing on my plate then she would tell Santa Claus that I needed to be put on the naughty list. My plate has been cleaned off after dinner ever since,” Sarah Sniker, senior, said.  

 One may argue that Santa Claus is all just a part of the Christmas spirit and that it gets everyone excited about the upcoming holiday, but I cannot help but remember every time my parents hit me with a “I am going to tell Santa how bad you are being.” Could it all have been a secret parenting tactic? If you think about it, the whole Santa thing is kind of creepy. I am not sure how I feel about a random man sliding down my chimney in the middle of the night, eating my family’s cookies, leaving presents, and ditching. Maybe I watch too much true crime, but that sounds like a horror movie in the making.  

 “I am not going to lie; Santa always creeped me out. I do not even have a chimney. At this point, he is just breaking in,” Grayson Hundly, freshman, said. 

 I guess, if you look at it in a positive light, the old guy is bringing joy and excitement to many children all over the world. Besides, who does not like awesome gifts every year? Plus, there are some amazing Christmas movies that would not be the same if Saint Nick never made an appearance. Some classic holiday traditions would be gone if he never existed, like the Elf on the Shelf or baking cookies for Santa.  

 “Without Santa Claus, Christmas would not be the same. It would lose its magic, and I may not look forward to it as much as I usually do,” Madison Kaworski, sophomore, said. 

 The tradition of Santa Claus may sound a little kooky at times, but in the end, who does not love a classic Christmas story? Even if it does involve a rosy cheeked grandpa who seemingly knows everything about everyone.