The Death of Santa Claus

For many very young children, believing in Santa Claus, the benevolent bearer of gifts at Christmas, is akin to magic. However, as they age, children begin to suspect that Santa is a construction their parents use to create a sense of wonder. Psychologically, when we discover that Santa Claus is a fictional character created by society rather than a reality, it can feel as if our childish wonder actively dims.

The eight-year-old speaker of the poem finds out Santa Claus is a myth through his classmates who say, “Santa’s a big / fake” (Lines 25-26). Wanting to believe the kids are mistaken, the speaker calls them “stupid” (Line 24). He wants to continue to operate as if the world of Santa truly exists but deeply suspects the other children are right. This is confirmed when “the terrible / news ris[es] in [his mother’s] eyes” (Lines 29-30) and shatters any remaining hope. The speaker has misjudged the reality of Santa and the honesty of his classmates.

This information is preceded by the images of Santa’s death, which shows that the child suspected the truth before even talking with his mother. As he has listened to his classmates, the speaker has already subconsciously registered that Santa is fake.