History Main / StillBelievesInSanta

->'''Bridget''': Wait. You still believe in Santa?\\
'''Trisha''': Well, I haven't been nice all year for nothing.\\
'''Bridget''': So your parents never told you that he wasn't real?\\
'''Trisha''': Oh... they try to tell me every year. But every year, I come back, and look who's here!

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' fanfiction ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13054545/1/Ace-Savvy-and-the-Full-House-Gang-Checkmate Ace Savvy and the Full House Gang: Checkmate]]'', Leni, [[TheDitz true to her character]], still believes in Santa at sixteen and mistakes a bearded guy named Reginald Barnum for Santa.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry is revealed early in the series to still believe in Santa. Some books later, Santa actually appears, as [[BadassSanta one of the most powerful members of the Fae Winter Court]]. [[spoiler: He's also Odin!]]
* In ''Literature/LittleWomen'', when the March sisters are trying to figure out who provided the lavish Christmas feast they find waiting for them (it was Mr. Laurence), 13-year-old Beth guesses "Santa Claus" and 12-year-old Amy guesses "the fairies." This isn't played for laughs, though – it just highlights the girls' innocence because the March parents believe in letting children be children as long as possible.

* ''Series/{{Family Matters}}'': Pops up in "Have Yourself a Very Winslow Christmas." Laura and Eddie are flabbergasted to find Steve still believes wholeheartedly in Santa (they're in their early teens at this point). So Steve challenges them, saying he'll write a letter to Santa and send a copy to the Winslows via registered mail. If on Christmas morning, he gets his wish, they will know Santa exists. [[spoiler: Steve gets what he asks Santa for--to spend Christmas with the Winslows.]]

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': One sketch centers on a family that never has presents for Christmas because the parents (host Creator/AlecBaldwin and Creator/JaneaneGarofalo) still believe in Santa and expect him to bring them. A police officer (Creator/KevinNealon) tries explaining the truth, but they think he's crazy and refuse to believe him.

-->'''Trisha''': Well, hey, at least you get to meet Santa, right? I mean, the man himself.
-->'''Bridget''': Wait. You still believe in Santa?
-->'''Trisha''': Well, I haven't been nice all year for nothing.
-->'''Bridget''': So your parents never told you that he wasn't real?
-->'''Trisha''': Oh...they try to tell me every year. But every year, I come back, and look who's here! So who's got egg on their face ''now''?!

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Bob believes that Louise is a little too old to still be believing in Santa Claus at age nine. Little does he know that Gene and Tina, who are eleven and ''thirteen'' respectively, still believe in Santa as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/ParadisePD'': Oafish {{manchild}} loser Dusty (who is a cop) thinks Santa is real. [[spoiler: Turns out he's right.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' Christmas special "Yes Mikey, Santa Does Shave," sensitive GentleGiant Mikey is the only fourth grader, or at least the only one in his group of friends, who not only still believes in Santa, but still thinks the "Santas" who show up at malls and other public events are the real deal. After he learns the truth about the latter, he loses his belief in Santa altogether and becomes depressed, but in the end it turns out that [[SantasExistenceClause Santa is]] RealAfterAll.

Children all over the world believe in SantaClaus and the magic of Christmas. However, the majority of children outgrow this belief by their teens, accepting that Santa is a story told to kids to keep them happy at Christmastime.

** Fred, while initially on the fence about the Guardians, is still a believer in the strange and unusual, which helps him catch onto the supernatural things a bit sooner in the sequel.

** Fred, while initially unable to see the Guardians, is still a believer in the strange and unusual, which helps him catch onto the supernatural things a bit sooner in the sequel.

* ''Fanfic/LightingCandles'': In the ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians''/''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' crossover fic, Jamie Bennett from the former film, now an old man, still believes in all of the Guardians (including Santa/North) and thus can still see them. Justified, since Jamie had met and had an adventure with all of the Guardians as a kid, but it only takes a little prompting for Jamie to believe in and see new guardian spirit Tadashi as well. This gives Tadashi hope that he can get his still-living grown-up friends to see him one day.

* ''Fanfic/LightingCandles'': In the ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians''/''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' crossover, Jamie Bennett from the former film, now an old man, still believes in all of the Guardians and thus can still see them. Of course, it helps that he actually met and had an adventure with them, but it only takes a little prompting for Jamie to believe in and see Tadashi as well. This gives Tadashi hope that he can get his still-living grown-up friends to see him one day.

* ''Series/{{Ghosts}}'': The Christmas 2021 special shows that [[KindheartedSimpleton Kitty]] still believes in Santa Claus. Nobody ruins it for her, though [[{{Jerkass}} Julian]] comes close.

* ''Film/{{Elf}}'': Buddy is an adult {{Manchild}} with a Pollyannaish personality who still believes in Santa, which is played as a weird quirk. The plot of the film involves Buddy trying to get the rest of the adult world to renew their belief in Santa. {{Justified}}, as one of Santa's elves is Buddy's adoptive father, so he knows for sure that Santa exists.

* ''Series/{{Ghosts}}'': The Christmas 2021 special shows that [[KindheartedSimpleton Kitty]] still believes in Santa Claus. Nobody ruins it for her, though [[Jerkass Julian]] comes close.

Can overlap with SantasExistenceClause, where Santa is RealAfterAll, validating the belief of someone (who may or may not be a child). May come up during a ChristmasEpisode. Compare SantaAmbiguity where Santa's existence is hinted but never really confirmed.

Other times an older person's belief in Santa is treated as an endearing quirk, especially if the true believer is someone you wouldn't expect to be one, like a gruff soldier or a haughty AlphaBitch. In this case, it could be a sign of NotSoAboveItAll.

Well, not this guy. This character still believes in Santa Claus well past the age children usually outgrow this belief (at least in their mid-to-late teens, some examples even involve grown adults). This is meant to mark them as innocent, childish, or even delusional in some way; it can also bolster existing ManChild[=/=]KiddieKid or {{Cloudcuckoolander}} characterization. They may get made fun of for this belief, so some may move past it over the course of the story.

Well, not this guy. This character still believes in Santa Claus well past the age children usually outgrow this belief (at least in their mid-to-late teens, some examples even involve grown adults). This is meant to mark them as innocent, childish, or even delusional in some way; it can also bolster existing ManChild[=/=]KiddieKid or CloudCuckooLander characterization. They may get made fun of for this belief, so some may move past it over the course of the story.

[[folder: Literature]]