Christmas - a great promotion of deception

QUESTION: At what age should children be told that Santa Claus is not real?
ANSWER: Knowing when to tell your child that Santa is not real is one of the most common problems parents have to face. Questions such as who (the parents, the school, friends, etc.) should tell your child this fact or at what age they should be told can come up. Deciding what to do can be tough, especially when adults are constantly pressured by the world to just "go along" with the Santa myth and pretend he exists. Some have the additional problem of deciding how to convey to their kids that the family, out of conscience, does not participate in Christmas.

This modern world has at its disposal an impressive array of techniques and methods in which to promote deception. It can effectively promote how "real" Santa Claus is and how "good" it is to participate in the trappings of Christmas. The pressure to conform can come from the media (e.g. TV, radio, newspapers, books, magazines, the Internet, etc.), entertainment (movies, plays, games, etc.), family, friends, church, the workplace, stores and even schools to name a few.

When my friend's child was young, he and his wife had to deal with the same problem as you have. They found that children learn more by example than by words. Years ago, while they walked in the shopping malls before Christmas, their family would invariably see several versions of Santa along the way. Since they did not celebrate Christmas, they would simply walk past anyone dressed as him without making any comments. One year a woman asked their five year old what Kris Kringle brought him for the holiday. He simply replied, "We don't keep Christmas."

NOTES:  The above was copied from http://www.biblestudy.org/question/is-santa-claus-real-or-not.html.  In my own life, I am surrounded by family and friends, and school and church, that talk about observing Christmas through Santa Claus.  I politely don't participate, but under pressure of my 2 year old singing the Santa songs and talking about Santa coming to our house, I mostly go to my knees in prayer.  I am becoming more aware of how the world is full of self perpetuating lies.  One lie upon another lie, and then another lie to cover for the first five lies.  When will the CHURCH stand up and be HOLY, and put off these untruths?