Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, or whatever we choose to call him, is alive and well and true just as there really was a Camelot, Arthur and Excalibur. Just as there really was a Robin Hood. Just as there are ancient spirits in the forests. We need Myths (in the truest sense of the word) to sustain us, inspire us and to help bring out the best in us. My parents took the time-honored route of perpetuating my belief in Santa and such. I don't remember ever asking about the "reality" of it all. My son (age 6), on the other hand, is very much interested in what really transpires. So when he asked me to tell him the "truth" about where his presents come from, I couldn't lie. But I don't mind telling him that there are wondrous things in this world that we can't always experience with our five senses. He still has a healthy sense of wonder, as well as an instinct for "science," or the nuts and bolts of how things work. Long may he keep both.