Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/764316
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2016 H ang on a second, I'm confused. My attention has just been drawn to an article under the headline: "Majority of parents 'lie' about Santa Claus"... but when I clicked the link, the very first sentence I found myself reading was: "A MaltaToday survey shows that 59% of Maltese parents and grandparents encourage their children and grandchildren to believe that Santa Claus exists." Huh? What? Is that a typo? Either they're lying, or they're telling the truth. They can't do both at the same time, you know. So if 59% of Maltese parents and grandparents tell their children what is obviously the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about Santa's undeniable, incontrovertible existence... how on earth can they be accused of 'lying' (still less 'peddling mythology')? O-o-h... now I get it. It's just a question of terminology. You say 'Santa Claus', I say 'Father Christmas'. He says 'Christmas Father', his Italian hairdresser says 'Il Grande Puffo'... no, wait... 'Babbo Natale'. Or whatever. It doesn't make any difference: they can call him 'Moana Pozzi' for all I care. Whatever the name, that fat guy with the red anorak and white beard really does exist. In fact, I am more f labbergasted by the fact that fewer than 60% now share what should after all be a universal certainty. And it would seem the number of non-believers is forever rising, too. Why, 20 years ago it would have 28 Opinion What do you mean 'Does Santa exist?' Raphael Vassallo