About fifteen years ago when BA flew planes to Melbourne we produced two large suitcases at the Heathrow check-in desk . It was a few days before Christmas and the words that the check-in lady used were startlingly unusual . As best as I can remember her words, what she said was
Of course you don’t have any Christmas presents in here other than those that you have wrapped?
We agreed with her, while silently registering that she was completely off-script - words like this should not be said, and if they were said could only have been said casually after the standard scripted words . I wonder if in deliberately asking us this leading question she was suffering from the consequences of having too many honest travellers prior to us.
The check-in lady might have been a mind reader . We were of course carrying presents given to us by the other grandparents . And we have done this every Christmas on our annual visit to Melbourne . These presents are from people of our generation, born in the thirties who do not fly because it is so dangerous (or was dangerous when they were young) . The last occasion was two years ago . We just accepted wrapped presents from the other grandparents in England . And when we handed them over to our son or daughter in Melbourne we would simply say these are from George & Peggy . We never told our children that we did not actually witness these presents being wrapped up . And what is fundamental and relevant is that we are the "guilty" ones who once told these children of ours
Father Christmas does not leave presents for children who don’t believe in him.
"Guilty" is the wrong word . It is important in the upbringing of any child that they are taught to tell white lies . This teaching is how we teach our little ones the social good manners of thinking before speaking.