Everyone had such a great response to my story about Santa knowing my kids’ birthdays and restoring the Christmas magic in our lives. Especially with my 10yo, Mazzy, who is beginning to doubt things. For parents who are looking for ways to keep the magic alive with their own kids, I asked you all to share something that happened in your childhood or with your kids that helped reinforced your belief in Santa or just general holiday magic.

There were over 1770 responses and I tried so hard, but I could not read them all. No matter though, because I discovered more than enough magic to share.

Ready to instill some holiday magic?

“My brother and I had both stopped believing in Santa, which devastated my mom. So she hired someone (to this day, I don’t know who) and gave them a key to our house. He dressed as Santa and my brother and I caught him in the act of leaving gifts on Christmas Eve. I still THOUGHT he was fake, but it was convincing enough to keep me hopeful for a couple more years.” -@the_fantastic_mrsfox

“My favorite Christmas memory from my childhood was around 2nd grade. Camcorders were all the rage and my parents set ours up on the tripod on Christmas Eve to record us opening gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas afternoon, we rewound the tape to watch ourselves, and my dad went back too far to the night before. Santa was spotted in my living room for about 30 seconds putting gifts under our tree. He must have leaned on the record button while admiring our tree. It was so magical.” – Emily

“We were in the Tampa, FL airport with our daughters and saw Santa eating lunch. When I got up to take my girls to use the restroom, he talked to my husband and learned their names and a little about each girl. When we came back from the restroom, he came over to our table to talk to our girls. He called them by their names and had a long conversation with specific details. It was such a sweet and special moment for all of us.” – @stronglikemomma

“My parents went above and beyond for us to believe in Santa. They put soot foot prints through our house. They showed us a blurry pic with the silhouette of Santa in our living room. One year, they even threw two toys in our backyard so we would think they fell out of the sleigh.” – Meghan

“My son is just a little older than Mazzy, and a few years ago, when he was maybe 6 or 7, he really started doubting Santa’s existence. To rekindle his belief, we bought two of the same book (something Star Wars, I’m sure); one from us, one from Santa. It worked!! Because WHY would we purposely buy two of the same thing?! We donated the extra copy to his school’s library. He’s believed ever since. I keep expecting him to figure it out, but, as of now, he’s still full on Team Santa.” – Kristen

“When I was a kid, I sent a letter to Santa and got a hand written letter back. I remember that letter smelled like cinnamon and had glitter in it. It kept me believing until the 5th grade. Years later, my dad told me that our neighbor found my letter in his mail and the neighbor was the one who wrote back. Somehow, that made it even more special.” – Alex

“My birthday is Dec 22 and we always traveled for Christmas. On my 8th birthday, we were all in the car about to leave for my birthday dinner. My mom suddenly ‘forgot her purse’ and ran back inside. When we got back home, Santa had visited us early, since we wouldn’t be home on Christmas morning. My little brother and I were floored! And since I had been questioning Santa, it could not have happened at a better time in my life.” – Kendall

“I worked as an Elf taking pictures for Santa one year. I was 19, had long since stopped believing and was looking for a quick paycheck. This man, this Santa, was the real deal. He kept reindeer at his summer home in North Dakota, his wife made all his clothes, he handmade wooden toys that he donated to children’s hospitals. We worked together in a culturally diverse area and not one child sat on his lap that he couldn’t communicate with. I stopped counting at the 13th language. If a special needs child was overwhelmed with the commotion and noise, he pulled a velvet blanket from his bag, draped it over his chair and made a ‘Santa Fort.’ He never rushed the children, would answer all their questions, and yet the line was always moving. We once had this baby that wanted nothing to do with the big guy. Mom had brought him by a few times and he would just scream. ‘Whelp. This is it, his streak is over,’ I thought. Nope. In comes Mrs. Claus, (his real wife) who swooped up that child, and started rocking and cooing to him. Within minutes, that sweet baby who was screaming his head off was babbling happily, like he had known her his whole life. When Mrs. Claus walked over to hand the baby to Santa, Santa whispered something in his ear and that baby threw back his head and laughed. A full baby belly laugh. I saw magic that year. Not presents appearing under the tree magic, but connection and love and patience and humanity. Now, when my children ask me if Santa is real, I tell them, unequivocally YES. He most definitely is real.” – Jenn

“On Christmas Eve, when my daughter was two and just starting to get the concept of Santa, she was so excited, she wouldn’t go to bed. Then literally out of nowhere, we heard Santa bells. We live in a neighborhood, but the houses aren’t super close together, so we have no idea where the bell sound came from. Her eyes got huge. Then she ran into her room and was asleep in about 3 minutes. It was adorable. I doubt she remembers, but my husband and I still talk about it.” – @Tatabex

“I swear I saw Santa in my living room. To this day, it is STILL a super vivid memory. He was putting presents under our tree in his red velvet suit and hat, and I’ve asked my dad many times if it was him. He won’t admit anything and I’m 34!” – Krista

“My parents used to own an antique store. My Dad would find old sleigh bells and when parents would tell him their kids were questioning Santa, he would give them the bells and tell them to throw them on the lawn Christmas Eve so that days or weeks later, the kids would find them. He swears this gives at least an additional year of believing. My son is eight so our time for the bells is coming soon.” – @ssconley1

We just had a magical moment last week with our elf on the shelf! We keep a little pack of balloons in the living room to play ‘bouncy’ sometimes. Chippie the Elf was chilling out on top of the TV, when all of a sudden, he caught the balloon! Granted static was our magic, but my 5 year-old nearly lost it with excitement! Such innocence and magic. It was truly an incredible moment.” – Sarabeth

“Santa always made a mess at our house, and my dad would ‘get mad’ about it every year. Annoyed that he had to sweep the mess from the fireplace, or vacuum up crumbs. It kept me convinced a little bit longer!” -@lacyemcd

“Our local library sets up a mailbox where kids can mail letters to Santa and Santa or an elf will write back. Last year, our 8 year-old was clinging to his Santa belief by a thread. Watching his face light up as he read the elf’s reply was magical. You could see his belief restored. The elves who wrote back answered all the letters individually, promising that Santa would deliver the asked for present and providing small anecdotes about life at the North Pole. This year, the now 9 year old insisted we mail our letters at the library.” – @livingonloveandlunges

“Watching my older daughter who is 12 and no longer believes in Santa keep the magic alive for her two younger siblings makes my heart so happy. She is the one who insists on moving the elf each night and keeps the littles looking forward to finding the elf each morning. She told me that I made the elf magical for her, so she wants to do the same for her sister and brother.” – @aftnkiana

“My twins were born last year and we had no money for anything. We were so lucky to be part of a multiples group where moms sponsor families and help provide for Christmas. The family who chose us went above and beyond. Words cannot describe. They got a present for my son that I had been hoping he would get, but hadn’t even said out loud! It was truly magical and even gave me more faith in humanity. My kids are too little to understand, but I will never forget it.” – Leland

“I had to work on Christmas Day the first year I switched to dayshift. Santa delivered my kids’ presents the night before while we were at Christmas Eve service, so we opened gifts that night instead. I played it off like I had NO idea that was going to happen and my kids were just shocked!” – Kelly

“I have a nephew who is 13 and hasn’t believed in Santa for a few years, but he is still so sweet about keeping the magic alive for the smaller kids in our family. Last year, he called my 4-year-old on Christmas Eve and together they tracked Santa’s progress on Norad’s website. It meant the world to my son, who basically idolizes his older cousin. He’s already looking forward to tracking Santa with him again this year.” – @kdawson13

“We were visiting my sister in Pennsylvania and driving through a neighborhood that went ALL OUT with light displays. There was even a Santa who greeted kids in their cars as you passed by. My oldest was on the cusp of not believing, but when Santa got to our car, he greeted him by his name and asked if he still wanted a specific toy. You could see the Christmas magic in my son’s eyes. I’ll never forget it. Later, I found out that my brother-in-law had filled him in ahead
of us in line. That extra effort meant everything that year.” – Kateln

“When we visited NYC for Christmas a few years ago, our concierge snuck our elf into the hotel room before we went up. That was pretty magical!” – Jessica

“I heard jingle bells on Christmas Eve that woke me up from my sleep when I was around 8 years-old. I ran to the window and coincidentally saw a shooting star, which I thought was Santa’s sleigh. I believed in Santa for a lot longer than normal after that.” – K.A. Stryker

“When we were kids, we were allowed to open our gifts on midnight of the 24th. My older brother would take me to our bedroom and we would wait to hear a bell ringing that signaled Santa had come. My brother is five years older and even though he knew it was my dad ringing the bell, he kept the magic alive for me for as long as he could.” -@cyndierellla

“My grandfather was a mall Santa when I was a kid. One summer, when I was about eight, I found his red suit in the closet of the spare bedroom at my grandparents’ house. I was shocked and confused and not sure what to think. I reasoned with myself that yes, my grandfather wasn’t THE Santa, but he did WORK for the real Santa, and reported back all of his findings to the real Santa. I kept up the secret for my younger sister (and my mom) for the next couple of years, while I remained convinced that my grandfather was part of some kind of secret Santa spy network. I knew that he worked for the government before he retired, so this made absolute sense to me. I made up a complete international covert op in my mind because I didn’t want to believe that Santa wasn’t real.” -@misskitty530

“Last November, we took our first trip to Disney. Sitting behind us at one of the restaurants was a couple that swore they were Mr. and Mrs, Claus, just on vacation before their busy season. My two daughters, 9 and 6, who have been on the fence, we’re both taken by their charm and story. They weren’t sure what to make of them, but they definitely relit their spirit.” – Tracy

“2013 was a hard year for our family when my daughter’s dad passed away suddenly in a car accident. She was three, and while we all tried to make it magical, it was a sad time. When we woke up on Christmas morning, there was a giant box of gifts waiting for her on the front porch. All the things she wanted. I know a local community organization was involved, but to this day I don’t know who nominated her that year. It kept the magic alive for her, and it restored the magic and belief I had in my own community too. People are capable of beautiful and loving things.” – Kristina

“This year has been a little hard for us, but my 6yo daughter changed that for me when we started decorating the tree. This is the first year that she actually remembers stories behind the ornaments and how certain ones are favorites and why. Last year, our tree fell over and we lost a few ornaments, but my favorite Grinch ornament was spared. He just had minor scratches. When we pulled him out this year, my daughter said, ‘Oh yeah! Look at his scars from last year when the Elf knocked over the tree!’ Made my heart happy.” – Courtney

“One year, we were traveling for the holidays and I asked how Santa would find us. We ended up getting an elaborate letter from Santa saying that our gifts would be waiting for us at home when we got back, so we didn’t have to carry them. I later learned that my parents panicked when I asked my question and wrote the letter after we went to bed!” – @Braziliancakes

“I’ve always been a rule follower. But when I was four, I woke up on Christmas morning before my parents. Even though I knew I was supposed to wait, I went downstairs for a peek at what Santa left under the tree. I got down to the bottom of the steps and heard the back door slam. I got so startled, I ran up to my parents bedroom and told them Santa just left out the back door! My dad went flying down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the door to see what happened. He came back in and said he heard the sleigh bells as Santa flew away. To this day, they won’t tell me any other version of the story. I’m 42.” – Cori

“When my ex-husband and I got divorced, I was worried that holidays wouldn’t be as special. He has a much bigger family than I do with lots of fun cousins. I needed to make my own family tradition. This past Saturday was our 4th year at the Ft Lauderdale boat parade. Every year, we stay at the same hotel with a balcony on the intracoastal. We wear pajamas and decorate gingerbread houses. I’m Jewish but obsessed with Christmas lights. Something magical about the lights. My son is nine now and I wasn’t sure if he was interested in the boats, so this year, I asked him if he wanted to do something else. He looked at me like I was nuts and said, “So, you’re going to break a family tradition?” I did it. I created a family tradition of my own. I love it.” – @justliv2

“When I was younger, I believed longer than most, because my mom was a single mom of six and I realized how much everything cost. I figured there was no possible way she was able to buy everything herself. To this day, I still don’t fully know how she managed it all!” -Sdmbelanger

“I remember wanting a computer so bad when I was ten. My mom was a single mom and I wasn’t sure if she could afford one. She kept telling me that Santa doesn’t know how to make computers yet. They were still huge boxy things back then. I remember asking everyone if Santa knew how to make computers and getting a lot of  silly looks that holiday season. Well, fast forward to Christmas morning, I unwrapped a huge box of computer paper, but no computer. My mom said that maybe Santa gave me the paper this year and would bring a computer next year. But, when I walked into the kitchen, there was a desk with a computer all set up. Her face was glowing. I know now she saved and saved and made that special Christmas happen. I’ll never forget it. I even remember I was wearing my new kids on the block pajamas!  Christmas magic lives forever in our hearts.” – Melissa

“My oldest daughter is 11 and I can tell that she is beginning to have  doubts. But then, we went to take a picture with Santa and she was wearing her brand new glasses (her first time wearing glasses at all), and the first thing that Santa said was “I like your new glasses.’ Her cheeks turned pink and she was amazed! I can’t even tell you how he knew!” – lmdavila

“When I was a kid, I asked Santa for a bell like in The Polar Express. I received one that year and my parents pretended not to hear it.” – Alyssa

“My parents divorced when I was young, and several other families in our circle were in similar situations. One year, my Mom invited a few of the other Moms over on Christmas Eve while all the kids were with our Dads. We got wind of it and wanted to join the party, so the next year, Mom invited everyone back the next night. Everyone brought their leftovers, we did a gift exchange, played games and watched movies until the littlest ones were falling asleep. 25+ years later, the crowd has changed and the littlest one will be 16 this year, but Christmas Day Night is still one of my favorite traditions. It reminds me how good things can come out of sad situations.” – @hatsofflala

“When I was a kid, my parents would have magic Christmas jammies delivered from the North Pole. The jammies always arrived on the doorstep, cold (fresh out of the freezer, I’m sure) with a note that said their magic would help us get a perfect night’s sleep. I started this tradition with my boys and one day (in August), we were getting ready to leave on vacation the next day and I told my oldest (7 years-old at the time), we needed to get a good nights sleep. He insisted on wearing his winter footie jammies because they had ‘North Pole Magic’ and would help him sleep.” – @mrstyoism

“My mom’s beloved long-lost cat showed up one Christmas after being gone for over three years. She made him a place inside to sleep that night, but he was gone the next morning. She still calls it her Christmas miracle.” – Megan

“One Christmas Eve, when I was eight, I fell asleep on the sofa while we were opening gifts. Later that night, my parents woke me up. My mom gave me a piece of paper with a clue on it to find my Christmas present. We lived in a super tiny house because we were dead broke. So, the clues weren’t that hard to find. The final clue was in my bedroom. I opened the door, walked in, and my little mind was blown. All I’d ever wanted was a canopy bed. I asked Santa for one every year. I spent every Christmas circling the ones I wanted in JCPenny catalogs. To this day, I don’t know how my parents swung this (one can only assume a kidney was sold at some point), but there in my bedroom was the most beautiful white canopy bed with a big yellow canopy on it. I cried. I still don’t know how they built it so quickly without waking me. Santa really came through that year. Still the best Christmas gift I ever got. My niece sleeps in that same bed all these years later.” – @teateaandbbc

“The magic hasn’t been very alive this year with stressful things happening in our family, but it was restored this past weekend when my 14 year-old son and I volunteered to hand out presents to military families. The amount of love my child showed in his giving and caring made my heart melt and believe in the Christmas spirit again!” – Jenna

“One year, Santa filled my entire stocking with peanut butter cups. It always sticks out in my head because it was like a pot of gold. I was sure my parents would never give me that much candy.” -Lulu 

“My older sister ruined Christmas for me at about 5 years-old. She took me to the basement bathroom and showed me the presents that were half wrapped and stored in the tub. She explained my parents were actually Santa. There was no going back. I didn’t want my younger sister to suffer the same fate, so I told her that our parents were helping Santa. Then I wrote a letter from Santa to my parents asking for help and showed it to her.” -Maria

“When my boys were 7 and 4, we met three friends at the corner market to sing carols. While they were singing, a man with a big white beard pulled up in a pick up truck, wearing overalls, and came over to them. He said, ‘I’m so proud of you!’ and gave them each a candy cane. They were out of their minds that Santa visited them!” – Deirdre

“When my son realized I was Santa, he said, ‘YOU did all of that for us mommy?!’ It was such a sweet sensitive comment, and made the magic feel alive and well.” – Tricia

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