Christmas Peace

When all the activity is done, and the guests have gone, and a quiet calm
settles over the house. I sit with the lights off and the Christmas tree lit,
sipping tea, and thinking back on the happiness of the day.

For the Love of Santa

11-30-08

I love Santa Claus. He’s known by many names such as St. Nick, Kris Kringle, and Father Christmas. I prefer Santa. Actually I love the whole Santa package. The Elves, the Reindeer, Mrs. Claus, and the snow.

Retailers start the Christmas Season way too early these days. No matter how much I love Santa, I am just not ready for him in October. The beginning of the Christmas Season used to be Thanksgiving Day according to Macy’s! I didn’t even know what Macy’s was, but I knew they had it right. They had a spectacular parade with lots of famous people in it and it was on television! Santa arrived in grand style in the Macy’s Parade thus beginning the Christmas Season. The whole parade passed by without notice from me because I was just waiting for Santa. That’s still pretty much how it is for me. I listen to the parade while I am cooking until I hear them say Santa is coming up, and then I am there to see it.

Thanksgiving was also when the Christmas lights were turned on for the first time downtown. Or at least the first time I was aware of it anyway. We would drive through downtown on our way home from Thanksgiving dinner. The arrival of Santa Claus in New York City and the city lights shining in Horton, Kansas truly meant that Christmas was coming.

Santa always knew me. Every year we would go downtown on the day he arrived in Horton, and every year he would stop by the church after our Sunday School Christmas program. Some kids held back like they were scared, but not me! I was eager to get as close as I could, and Santa always called me by name. Sometimes he even asked me about things he couldn’t have known if he didn’t really know me.

One year, Santa actually came to my house while I was awake! He knocked on the door (we didn’t have a chimney), my dad answered, and there he was! I was beside myself. He asked me if I had been good to which I replied YES, and he gave me my first guitar. A tiny toy guitar with "real" strings and a tiny crank that played music. He came back later of course with other things, but that one thing directly from Santa’s hand to mine was the best!

My dad would sing "Up On the Housetop" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" all through the season. He knew all the words to all the verses. He would also read "The Night Before Christmas" to me dozens of times. I never got tired of it (although he probably did). Undeniably my favorite poem. It was written by Clement C. Moore for his children in 1822 and was originally titled "An Account of A Visit from St. Nicholas. I still have that Little Golden Book that he read from as well as 10 more versions collected over the years. My first acting role was "momma in her kerchief" in the 4th grade. I was thrilled! I wore my red flannel night gown, and a big red handkerchief. My next trip to the stage was as Mrs. Claus when I was in the 6th grade. Mom sewed a fabulous costume for that performance. Both were dream roles I must say.

While "The Night Before Christmas" continues to hold first place as my favorite Santa story. Second place goes to "The Adventures of Nicholas" by Helen Siiteri. It is the definitive story of how Santa came to be and explains how he continues to live on and on through the generations. I read it over and over and it makes perfectly logical sense. Beyond dispute! And I told my friends so.

Third place for my favorite Santa story is "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens Obviously many people agree with me on this one. It has been adapted for the stage, screen, opera, radio, TV and even cartoons. It was first published in 1843, and was Dickens’ first public reading of his work in 1852. Now we can listen to it being read on the world wide web.

"A Christmas Carol" has been filmed over 300 times! My favorites are the 1938 version with Reginald Owen as Scrooge and a very young June Lockhart as one of the Cratchit children, and the 1972 musical version with Albert Finney titled "Scrooge."

It just doesn’t get any better than Father Christmas delivering gifts and the Christmas Spirit to everyone who believes!

"Happy Christmas" and "God Bless Us Every One"