Toddler Has the Best Reaction To Visiting St. Peter's Basilica
When visiting Italy, many people choose to visit Vatican City, whether they happen to be Catholic or not. Not only is this a place that holds a lot of religious significance for many, even giving some the chance to see the Pope in real life, but it's also a city rich with history. The architecture is beautiful, and there's so much art to be found there — the Sistine Chapel is just one example of this. The list of reasons to visit goes on and on.
But is it an ideal vacation destination for young children? Maybe not, but some families choose to travel there together anyway for all kinds of reasons. Kids can definitely have fun on a trip like this, but this viral TikTok video is a good example of how they (hilariously) may not understand exactly what is happening at some of the sites here.
Mom and popular TikToker Lauren Justice shared this video on Sunday, November 26, when she and her family were visiting Vatican City. Here, they were taking in St. Peter's Basilica, which is a pretty popular destination, considering the fact that it opened in the 1600s and contains so much art and history. But what does a toddler who may not be able to fully appreciate art and history think about it? Well, now we know.
Because what they may not understand more than famous art is the fact that the perfectly preserved bodies of three popes are on display inside the church for visitors to see for themselves. If you're unfamiliar, don't worry about kids being scared — they don't look like they're decomposing or anything (we can thank the wax) but it is a bit confusing for a kid who doesn't know what they're looking at!
In the footage, her 3-year-old daughter is looking at the body of Pope John XXIII, who is encased in a black coffin and fully dressed in red robes, and asks, "Mama, is that Santa?"
And honestly, I cannot blame her for that —because she probably has no idea what a pope is and he does kind of look like Santa — and neither can many of those who commented on the video, including multiple people who said that their own children thought it was Santa, too.
"I asked my husband the same thing last year when we went," one commenter admitted.
At least the little girl didn't seem too freaked out (and her mom told her that wasn't Santa Claus, so she doesn't have to worry that anything has happened to the big jolly guy before the holidays).
And maybe next year, the family vacation should be to somewhere like Disney World?
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