It is a question which is old, but still hard to reply. Indeed, many parents seem to trick their kids to make them believe the existence of Santa Clause, although it is obvious one day the children will know that they had been deceived by the parents for a long time.
Christopher Boyle and Kathy McKay suggest that it is because parents would like to become children accepted to believe the fantasy. According to them, Santa lie is not a white lie, but merely a selfish trick.
International Business Times: A wonderful lie - Here's why telling kids Santa is real is not such a good idea
In the article published in Lancet Psychiatry, they take a warning that such a lie can do damage on their children’s mind later in their life. Unfortunately, I cannot read the whole article now. Therefore, I do not know how they justified their hypothesis.
Lancet Psychiatry: A wonderful lie
But I am doubtful that their opinion was properly constructed through a scientific process. The influence of an experience in later life is quite difficult to be proven. In this case, I should conduct a longitudinal cohort study whose subjects are at least hundreds of children in each group, of which guys having told, or untold, about Santa by their parents, are participated. It is an absurdly large study protocol.
In Japan, Santa fantasy is also popular albeit not so many Japanese are Christians. I think some parents are eager to trick their children because other families do the same. They tend to think their child will be bullied if their he or she is the only one in the class who does not believe Santa. Such an idea is particular in Japan, in my sense. I am curious how European people feel about it.
And in my opinion, telling about Santa is neither beneficial nor harmful to children. Sooner or later, children learn the fact that, every people make a lie, and their parents are no exception.
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