Most Auburn students found out years ago that the big, bearded, jolly man dressed in red known as Santa Claus is not real.
For some it was traumatic, but others didn't seem to mind that the man who left presents beneath the tree on Christmas Eve, while the flying reindeer waited on the rooftop, was actually their parents.
Growing up, nearly everyone sat on Santa's lap at the mall, wrote him letters to tell him exactly what to bring them for Christmas and even baked cookies and put them out with milk for him to snack on as he left their presents under the Christmas tree.
Then came the day when they found out it was all just a lie. There was no Santa Claus.
What children had believed for years was all just a deception led by their own mother and father.
"I was 7 years old when I found out Santa wasn't real," said Rebecca Early, senior in political science. "My sister was 12, she already knew Santa was not real, so she woke me up in the middle of the night because she 'heard' him in the living room.
Early said she walked out of her room and saw her parents putting gifts under the tree, and that's when she found out.
Like many kids, Early didn't exactly know what to think when she found out that the whole Santa thing had all been a hoax.
"I was shocked and then upset," Early said. "My parents told me to go back to bed; they acted like nothing happened the next morning and every Christmas after that they continued to pretend Santa was real. They pretty much just avoided the subject."
While Early's sister aided her in finding out the truth, others did some investigation of their own to solve the Santa mystery.
"I was 10 or 11 years old when I looked under my parents' bed and found my Christmas gifts from Santa under there," said Chris Strain, junior in agriculture economics. "I came out and told my parents I didn't think Santa was real, but they tried to tell me he was."
Being well behaved and believing in Santa Claus has always been part of the deal with him coming and bringing presents, Strain said.
"My parents told me if I didn't believe then I wouldn't get any more presents," Strain said. "So I told them I would act like I believed so I would still get gifts."
There are various numbers of different stories about how students found out Santa wasn't real.
A few didn't even seem to be phased by the news.
"I really have no idea when I found out that Santa wasn't real," said Sadie McElwee, senior in hotel and restaurant management. "I just can't remember so it must have not been that upsetting."
McElwee is just one of the few that doesn't remember finding out about the news.
Most students still remember the day they found out Santa wasn't real, even though they may not exactly remember all the details.
"I don't remember how old I was, probably 7 or 8, when I asked my dad about Santa and he said 'Yep, no Santa for real,'" said Tyler Savage, junior in agriculture economics. "My mom still tried to say that there was a Santa."
Like several others, Savage was somewhat disturbed by the shocking news.
"I didn't like hearing about it too much," Savage said. "I was pretty upset."
But even after the truth comes out and everyone knows Santa Claus does not really exist, some people still find it hard to let go of the magic of Santa.
"My mother still puts a couple of things under the tree and says they are from Santa," Savage said. "I enjoy it though; I can't lie."
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