Santa phobia, or the fear of Santa Claus, is rarely recorded in authoritative lists of phobias. However, when the Christmas period comes into view, many children, despite their excitement, may show signs of anxiety when confronted with Santa Claus. Even the thought of Santa’s arrival could be enough to trigger Santa phobia.
Santa Phobia & the Fear of Santa’s Physical Appearance
The fear of Santa Claus is most evident when children are taken to see the man himself. While many kids will happily sit on Santa’s lap while their parents take photos, others will start screaming, struggling and showing other signs of fear. Being scared of Santa when face-to-face is not entirely surprising; the child, after all, is being handed over to a stranger. Separation anxiety kicks in, combined with the fact that most parents tell their kids not to talk to strangers – the contradiction enhances the fear.
Furthermore, the child is not exactly face-to-face with Santa. For a child, Santa is huge, both physically and symbolically. A fully costumed Santa is even more of a presence, a literal giant when compared to the child. Sat on Santa’s lap, the child looks up at a mass of white hair, while a rumbling “Ho! Ho! Ho!” emanates from somewhere within the big, hairy, red giant. The beard functions like a mask, hiding recognizable, “normal” facial features from the child. This same masking effect plays a large part in coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, a well-documented phobia.
In a 2008 Timesnews.net article entitled “Santa-phobia: Little ones' fear of Santa Claus not uncommon”, Ed Yonkey, a veteran Santa Claus performer, highlights Santa’s gloves as a potential problem. “I talk with other guys across the country who play Santa,” says Yonkey, “and we’ve talked about the white gloves we wear. We think some kids see those, and they think about the gloves that doctors or nurses wear. And kids think about yucky medicine or shots when they see those, maybe.” Any kind of negative association, however small, can quite easily turn a child’s excitement into anxiety and fear.
Visiting Santa – Coping with Your Child’s Fear of Santa Claus
Visiting Santa in a shopping mall or store can be a slightly hectic experience if your child gets scared. Ed Yonkey suggests a few ways to help your child cope with the encounter in the Timesnews.net article above. For more advice, have a look at “How to avoid the Santa bawl fest”, a Chicago Tribune article with Jonathan Pochyly, staff psychologist at the Children's Memorial Hospital, and Charlie Ficht, a Santa performer with Chicago Santa Visits.
Is Your Child Scared of Santa on Christmas Eve?
Santa phobia can also surface without any direct physical encounter. A child may develop a fear of Santa on Christmas Eve, when Santa’s imminent arrival becomes an unsettling, rather than exciting, prospect. Again, Santa is a stranger, but in this instance he will be entering the child’s home (at night) in order to deliver gifts. It’s not difficult to see how the thought of this fantastical character creeping around the house could be a little troubling.
Furthermore, we have some pretty heavyweight Christmas rules and regulations to take into account. Most children will be fully aware of the traditional Santa manifesto, another potential cause for concern. Take a look at the lyrics of the old Christmas classic, Santa Claus is Coming to Town:
He's making a list, And checking it twice; Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice. Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake, He knows if you've been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake!
The first of these Santa clauses (“Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice”) has the potential to instill fear in a child. Our jovial Santa is now capable of punishment, an act carried out through the withholding of gifts. It doesn’t take a huge leap to see how a sensitive, imaginative child could see this as a slightly frightening character trait (the strange, reclusive, bearded giant is now going to pass judgment).
The second verse highlights Santa’s visit to the family home (“He sees you when you're sleeping/He knows when you're awake”). Santa’s imminent arrival may make your child nervous, perhaps even fearful, particularly when trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. This nervousness may be intensified if a stocking has been placed at the foot of the child’s bed (Santa will be entering the room and approaching the child directly).
If your child does seem to be scared of Santa on Christmas Eve, it might be a good idea to put the stocking in a different room (in extreme cases, gifts and stockings could be placed in a neighbor's house). For more advice about reassuring your child, see the previous Timesnews.net and Chicago Tribune articles about Santa phobia.
Related Articles:
The Adult Fear of Santa and Other Types of Phobias
How to Write a Letter to Santa Claus
Tony Dunnell - Tony Dunnell is a freelance writer and a specialist in South American travel. He has two Peru blogs, howtoperu.com and tarapotolife.com
