33 Years With THE REAL SANTA

His beard and whiskers were snowy white. His red velvet suit showed wear, especially on his lap where thousands of children sat each year. His sleigh was lacquered red and quite comfortable for standing or sitting. He reminded each guest that the real meaning of Christmas was not “what” he will bring, but “who” came to earth on Christmas.

With supreme diplomacy, Santa suggested and never lectured about the true meaning of Christmas.

For years, we queued in long lines that took hours. Our first visit was when our daughter was one. She was tiny and was fascinated by the  low windows where miniature toys depicted scenes of Christmas and the Christmas Story. The years rolled by and then she was five, ten, twelve, fifteen, and on. We always went, waited in those interminable lines, and he was always there.

There was a letter-writing station with pencils and papers in case someone had left their letter behind or that their dog ate it. Children as well as parents and grandparents wrote letters and  Santa read most letters out loud.

A visit to The Real Santa was always an adventure. He arrived at his “Santa’s House” the day after Thanksgiving and returned to the North Pole several days before Christmas. During his stay, he would meet, greet, hear, and consider every child. He would nod approval or express surprise and say, “Mom/ Dad . . . how would you feel if I delivered such a gift? Maybe I’ll bring you a blue scooter, instead.” I remember how he looked up at me when my daughter asked for the Dirty Dancing movie. I smiled and nodded.

Families lined up at Santa’s door hours before his arrival. There would be popcorn and hot chocolate to satisfy hungry youngsters. Santa’s house was a work in progress. Every year, something new would be added to the many display windows. There were albums with letters and photos with/to Santa from the parents (when they were children) of the children standing in line. At the entrance there was an empty space in which gently used and much loved toys could be left to be delivered to those in need.

Santa carefully unfolded every letter and listened to every whispered secret. His promises and instructions had  to be followed exactly. “On Christmas Eve, I want you to place a small white plate on the kitchen table. On that plate place eight pieces of carrot for my reindeer and one cookie for me. In the morning, you will find a present wrapped in green tissue paper and tied with string. There will be a surprise for you from me,” Santa told one spellbound child while one parent was taking notes and the other photographed the visit. Before stepping away from the sleigh, Santa would smooth his beard, reach to his right, and produce a lollypop from his lollypop tree along with a beautiful small card depicting the Nativity . “Always remember the real reason for Christmas,” he would tell the child while handing them the card and candy.

Santa did not rush. He  gave every child their due time. As his house became more crowded and the lines grew longer,  Santa would take a break, go up to his rooftop, and address his guests. He might lead them in a Christmas song or read them a story or a poem. Sometimes he would speak to the adults and  read them a poem. One very memorable poem by an anonymous author, goes like this:

Santa attended to his visitors with love and understanding. “He knew if you were bad or good” and would call actions out, much to the chagrin of the child. Several incidences that happened to our daughter still have us wondering – how did he know?

When my daughter was four years old, she loved to leap into our bed at the crack of dawn. It was great fun for her. When we visited Santa that year, just as she was about to step out of his sleigh, Santa called her back. Holding her tiny hand, he looked her in the eye and said, “Now, you must stop jumping in your parents’ bed and stay in your own bed. Promise me that you will try. I will bring you a special present wrapped in white ribbon and will put it in front of your bedroom door.” As of that moment, our early morning visits ended. Sure enough, there was a special present wrapped in white ribbon on the floor in front of her bedroom door. How did he know?

The year that my father passed away, my mother accompanied us on our visit. She stood near the sleigh to hear Santa’s instructions and reactions. He stopped, turned toward her and beckoned her into his sleigh. “Grandma, what you really want is peace. I wish I can bring you peace,” he told her. He gave her a lollypop and a card. How did he know??

Because time with Santa transcends age, we visited him even when our daughter grew up. She loved to introduce younger children to the Santa adventure.  She loved when her younger cousin would visit. One year, her cousin was perplexed because she did not know if Santa would be able to find her at our house. As the girls were leaving the sleigh, Santa cleared his throat, looked into the little girl’s eyes and softly told her, “Don’t you worry about my finding you. I will always know where you are.” How did he know?

In a later year, again, with a younger friend, Santa listened and nodded to the younger child and to our daughter. Our daughter was a freshman in high school. As she was helping the young child out of the sleigh, Santa cleared his throat and tapped her on the shoulder saying, “You know, the things that hang on the rod of your closet are not mobiles. They are clothes hangers. You should use them. Hand up your clothes on those hangers and cleanup your room.” My husband and I were speechless as was she. How did he know?

In 2018, Santa took a break from the hustle and bustle of growing crowds and focus on his workshop. With internet access and mobile phones, he adapted to the age of technology. In his house there was a mailbox for real letters that children could write and mail to him. My Goddaughter drew him a beautiful picture as a gift to him and did not ask for a single present. We experienced the magic of Santa for 33 years and introduced many children and their families to him. The memories are priceless. Our Christmas traditions always included a visit to his house and marveled at his creativity as he added more displays. He never wavered from the true meaning of Christmas.

I wish you and yours the merriest of Christmases and that the meaning of the season will be in your hearts throughout the New Year.