I don't actually have trauma in my past -- there was simply never any Santa in my worldview. I just, um, knew it was something other kids believed? I had the tooth fairy till I was four, then found out somehow non-traumatically that the quarters came from my parents.

My best friend (whose mom was my mom's best friend) did believe in Santa and the tooth fairy, and I once got scolded by his mother for trying to set him straight, though her explanation made no sense, since she said something like [insert my bias into recollected dialogue], "For children who are lucky enough to have parents who lie to them, Santa is a wonderful fairy tale, like Cinderella."

Ari: OMG, Erik thinks Cinderella is true, too?! *weirded out*

So, lack of understanding!

And yes. When I was ten I totally loved, "if you don't believe in Santa you will CEASE TO EXIST." Yeah.