Woman realizes her boyfriend 'thinks Santa Claus is real' after accidentally stepping in on bizarre family ritual

Research by chartered psychologist Dr. Louise Bunce found that nearly 90% of kids under the age of 7 think Santa is real. It's cute until a grown-up, 25-year-old man says that, right? A woman (u/throwowawaa), 23, freaked out when she realized that her boyfriend and his family treat Santa as an actual entity who participates in their rituals. She posted the story on Reddit, where users expressed their disbelief and awe.

The author and Adam, her boyfriend, had gone to his parents' house to celebrate Christmas. The man had always been vocal about his religious beliefs, but hadn't mentioned Santa Claus in particular. Things, however, began to unfold as she met his family. She realized they call Santa "Santa Nick" and even serve a plate for him. "I laughed and said, 'Cookies aren't enough?' and Adam shot me a horrified look," the girlfriend shared. Her boyfriend's mom responded, saying she had to serve Santa a plate because cookies weren't a filling meal. Later, Adam's mom even asked the kids to sleep so Saint Nick could eat his dinner in peace and deliver the presents.

Later, around 9 PM, the woman was about to leave her room with Adam, but his mom stopped them. Apparently, she was serious about Santa eating his dinner and distributing gifts. "His name is Saint Nicholas, and he only eats his dinner here. Don't be disrespectful in our home," Adam told his girlfriend when she tried joking about it. The woman perhaps felt a bit humiliated, but didn't react to it. She went to sleep but couldn't lie still because of the shock. "I feel like I'm in a horror movie where they believe Santa is like a distant uncle or something," the woman confessed. The incident ruined her relationship with Adam, as she said she was accused of Santa not having his food because she, a "non-believer," was present at their house.

Meanwhile, reacting to the story, u/tiredandbored37 commented, "Even though this is funny as hell to read about, I imagine I'd be pretty terrified if I were living through it. Under no circumstances should you stop playing along. These people are insane. Get out of there ASAP. And let us know you made it home safely. I'm actually pretty scared of what will happen if you don't play along. These people have gone to some insane lengths to keep their kids believing in Saint Nicholas."

u/ok-welder-9234 said, "This is either a Christmas fable or a mental illness of delusion, which could have genetic implications. You'd better watch out!" Similarly, u/hey_itsmearyaman wrote, "This is cultish behavior. I feel bad for laughing, honestly, but holy shit, all of them sound so out of touch hahahahaha. You should probably confront your boyfriend about it when you are not at their parents' house and consider leaving him if he gives a cultish response."

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