hese kids didn’t figure out the truth about Santa for a few more years, a lifetime of holding my tongue. In the wake of the reveal, I witnessed no dramatic scenes, no displays of shame or anger at this betrayal. When I confessed that I’d always known the truth, the other kids lied and claimed they’d always known too. It was as if they cared less about the truth than about the communal experience they’d had with their friends and families. “It’s ridiculous,” I mumbled to myself, pacing the playground. “It’s ridiculous.”