Everything you need to know about Santa

If you are old enough to read this, then you probably already know that Santa is not real.

While there is some debate on whether Santa, also known as Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas, is based on a real person, we can all agree that he certainly is not delivering gifts on Christmas Eve.

Parents have recently been urged to tell their children the truth about how presents really end up under their Christmas tree.

But when is the right time to do so?

Parenting expert Justin Coulson told Daily Mail Australia that children usually become curious about Santa’s existence between the ages of five and seven.

“The right time to tell your child is as soon as they ask. If they're old enough and curious enough to question, then they're old enough to know the truth,” he told the publication.

So how should parents tell their children that the magic of Santa is not so magical?

“If they ask it can be good to ask them to think critically about Santa. Can a man really ride through the sky with reindeer pulling a sleigh, visiting every home in the world in one night?” Dr Coulson told the publication.

He added that making your children focus less on the receiving part of the holiday will help them embrace giving.

But if you do tell your children the truth about Santa, juts make sure you tell them not to burst their Santa-believing friends’ bubbles.

That would, without doubt, put them on the naughty list for 2017.