Look, it's complicated.

Kids of bygone eras might have believed in Santa Claus because it was customary. They might have believed because it's just what you did.

But for kids today, blind faith only goes so far.

Broach the subject of Santa, and it's possible you could have a philosophical argument on your hands. We spoke to kids who pointed to technological advancements as evidence for Santa Claus rather than against (his surveillance now being a simple matter of installation). In one case, a particularly spirited 11-year-old formed an interpretation of Santa Claus that came astonishingly close to quantum physics.

And then others don't believe at all.

It's a question that divides houses and splits classrooms. The best of friends fall on separate sides of a line that goes all the way to the North Pole (or nowhere at all).

One thing is common: Kids aren't afraid to talk about their beliefs and disbeliefs, or those of their siblings and classmates. As 10-year-old Estefani Garcia told us, “Anyone can believe or not believe in Santa Claus.”

It's the why and how that matters here.

more here via Omaha