Caution: Do not read this in the presence of children under 12!
So this is Christmas… but not a Christmas miracle.
Hundreds of kids were thrown for a shocking loop when they were unpreparedly informed that Santa Claus wasn’t real, by a churchman, nonetheless.
Reverend Edward Keene rejected Santa’s existence during a carol concert for Year 7 pupils, even informing the 11 to 12-year-olds that the sleigh and tireless reindeer weren’t real either.
The church rector further clarified that the unjolly revelation was a part of his “sermon on truth”, therefore, it was valid to inform those children who he said were old enough for a sad Christmas reality check.
Earlier this month, more than 200 Year 7 schoolchildren at Stevenage's Barclay Academy, in Hertfordshire, England, attended the Carol concert at St. Nicholas Church, unknowingly by the reverend, who might as well have been the Grinch.
The reverend’s unfestive closing speech after the concert prompted parents at Barclay Academy to erupt in anger.
More than 200 Year 7 schoolchildren were told by Reverend Edward Keene that Santa Claus wasn't real
Image credits: englishchurchman
37-year-old Emma Race, whose daughter Minnie was among the pupils who went to the annual service at St. Nicholas Church, told the Daily Mail: “My daughter came home and was quite upset by it.
“She said that he had told them at the end of the concert that now you're Year 7 and in secondary school, you should know the truth – that Father Christmas and his reindeer and sleigh are not real.
“She still believed. Obviously, she was questioning it because she's 11 but I thought I had this year before she sussed it out.
“So when she came home it caught me completely off guard. It's ruined the magic of Christmas.
“There were lots of children at the school who were affected. The school had to have an emergency talk to say believe what you want to believe.”
The not-so-jolly situation took place during a carol concert at St. Nicholas Church in Hertfordshire, England
Image credits: AnemoneProjectors
Emma, who also has a nine-year-old son, Walter, added: “I did email the church and expressed my concern about this guy.
“His response was that children are in secondary school and coming up to 12 and should know what's true and what's not.
“The school contacted me to say they were really shocked and unaware it was ever going to be brought up.”
A dad named Steve Shaw told the publication: “This guy doesn't know about the children's home lives and situations.
“Why did he need to say this? Who was he to deliver this news?”
"She was questioning it because she's 11 but I thought I had this year before she sussed it out," a mom said after the incident
Image credits: __ drz __
Another parent echoed the disappointment as they said: “He decided the whole of Year 7 needed to know Santa isn't real, as they are entering the real world.
“I would like to make other parents and schools aware, as this has ruined my daughter's Christmas.”
Amidst the growing backlash from furious parents who thought reverend Keene had ruined their children’s Christmas magic, the churchman went on to defend his decision but promised he would “approach the topic differently in the future” during festive services at the Grade I listed Anglican church, which has a 12th-century stone tower, as per the Daily Mail.
He said: “As the event to that point had included songs and readings about a range of characters, including Father Christmas and the sleigh, the Grinch and Jesus Christ, I did note that discernment had to be exercised and that some of these are real and others are not.
“At the time, this proved a point of amusement for the children, rather than one of upset.
“The topic of the reflection was aimed at a secondary school audience and would not be the same for a primary or pre-primary one.
Image credits: Jonathan Borba
“I will approach the topic differently in the future, as well as apologize for any undue upset caused inadvertently caused, this was by no means my intent.”
A Barclay Academy spokesperson, who confirmed the school would be contacting the church to ensure there would be no repeat of the incident next year, told the publication: “We understand the problems and stress this may have caused.”
Clinical psychologist and mom Dr. Jazmine wrote in her blog that the most important thing when discussing the existence of Santa with children is to emphasize its spirit in line with generosity, kindness, and giving.
“That is what the spirit of the holidays is supposed to be about. It’s important to not lose sight of that. And we can all be in the spirit of Santa,” she wrote.
“I would like to make other parents and schools aware, as this has ruined my daughter's Christmas," another furious parent said
Image credits: S&B Vonlanthen
According to Dr. Jazmine, telling your child Santa isn’t real doesn’t mean the magic of Christmas will be automatically ruined. She explained: “Santa is a fictional character that we can choose to believe in or not, we’re not ruining the magic.
“Because here’s the thing: Kids love to imagine. All day long, your child is engaged in pretend play, and it’s fun for them. For instance, just because your child knows they’re not actually a mom doesn’t distract from the fun of pretending to be mommy during doll time.”
The psychologist further stated that although there wasn’t any “magical age” to tell a kid about Santa’s inexistence, “the age range of when kids start to ask questions is around seven to 10” while “the average age of when kids figure out Santa isn’t real is eight years old.”
She further recommended: “If you’ve been saying to your child Santa is real when you tell them the truth about Santa is going to be based on your child and the questions they ask. So if they ask you, 'How do reindeer fly?' Or, 'How does Santa get inside my chimney?' Or 'How does he get to all the houses in the world in one night?' That’s when it’s time to have those conversations.”
Many adults came together in agreement that nobody should "take the magic of Christmas away"
