Keeping the Magic of Santa Alive
It wasn’t even Halloween yet when my five-year-old came home from kindergarten and said a classmate told him Santa wasn’t real. He was upset, and I could tell he wasn’t ready to let go of the fairy tale just yet. I wasn’t ready either. He’s my youngest, and I love seeing the magic of Christmas through his eyes.
So I asked Wade, “What do you think?”
He scrunched up his face and thought hard for a few seconds, “I think he is real!” I was relieved we would have at least one more Christmas with the big guy in the red suit.
If you have kids eagerly waiting for Santa’s arrival this year, here are few ways you can help them believe.
1. Santa Tracker – Both NORAD and Google will have Santa trackers available Christmas Eve so you can watch as Santa makes his way around the world. You can view the trackers online or download apps on your phone.
2. Letter to Santa – It’s too late this year to send a letter through the mail and get a response. (Visit the USPS website for information about their Letters to Santa program.) But Santa is tech savvy, and these days he also uses email and even video to respond to kids. Visit emailsanta.com where your child can write a letter online and receive a response immediately. They can even choose to have Santa send them a video message.
3. Leave Santa a questionnaire – It’s always nice when kids leave cookies for Santa and a few carrots for the reindeer. This year have them also leave a note with a few questions for Santa to answer like what does Mrs. Clause do while you’re delivering presents on Christmas Eve? They’ll be excited the next morning when you read them his answers.
4. Leave evidence of his visit – Leave some footprints in the snow around the house, ring bells gently outside their window while they sleep or leave Santa’s peppermint scent in the air when they come out to open presents in the morning.
Eventually all kids grow up. When David, my oldest son, told us it just wasn’t possible for Santa to visit so many houses all over the world in just one night, we knew the jig was up. We told him the true story of St. Nicholas and explained to him that his spirit of generosity and kindness lives on in the tradition of Santa. We also read him the famous Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus letter. Then we involved David in helping his little brother believe. David likes feeling like an insider and being in on the secret with with adults.
Young or old, we can all enjoy the magic of Christmas with just a little imagination.
