The Christmas season is rich with tradition, from the actual Christian story of the birth of Jesus to the various adaptations that culminated in the fir tree Capitalist extravaganza on display in our current time.
One influencer decided to take an individual stand to push back against one of the central pillars of a modern Christmas: she's not going to convince her young child that Santa is real.
The polite fiction that leads to wonder in children is pretty widely shared. Santa will come down the chimney (or woodstove, or through the front door...), leave presents, eat cookies, and is hauled around by reindeer. Children then wake to presents "miraculously" appearing under the tree.
That's not something Shannen Michaela, mom influencer not without some controversial takes already, will be doing with her child.
In a video explaining her choice, she said she doesn't want to lie to her kid and that it's a tradition that creates a sense of right or wrong in a child that is dependent on gifts.
She tied this into her anti-consumerism stance.
"The Santa narrative also feeds a consumerism-driven value system, where a child's 'worthiness' gets tied to performance for the year."
She created quite a stir with her opinion, leading her to explain the matter further in a five-minute video on her YouTube.
But her detractors insisted that the "lie" of Santa is one that creates important memories for children.
To that end, many people said that they were going to continue the tradition.
Some people agreed with Michaela.
There were some creative ways of insulting her take.
Many folks made their points short and not-so-sweet.
And what about the impact of her decision on other children and their parents?
Finally, some people dug deep to counter Michaela's arguments.
Santa is probably at a nearby shopping mall between now and the holiday.
