A mythical being taught to young children as a fact. In American culture, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter bunny are the three primary Santoids. The Stork is a more minor one used to explain where babies come from.
People typically learn the truth, sometimes even from their
parents, by 12. They learn that their
parents placed the gifts under the tree, took the tooth and replaced it with
money, hid eggs at 3 AM, and one night they got together and...you know.
The name comes from "Santa" plus "-oid", meaning "Santa-like."
Some say that Santoids are used to allow children to think critically and question everything.
Others say they are used as secular substitutes for Jesus, or as a
way of commercializing
Christmas/Easter. In the case of the stork, it is to protect their fragile developing psyches.
"Sinterklass is a Santoid that Scandinavians teach their children. It is just like Santa, except it isn't."
"In the minds of atheists, God is just a Santoid some people
never grow out of."
"Monsters under the bed. The Scary Santoid. By three, you
go through nights of no
sleep, but by 6, you realize it is just a coat."