Christmas Countdown

271 days, 3 hours, 43 minutes, 8 seconds until Santa arrives.

Letters to Santa

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Here is some of Santa's favorite questions I have received over the years.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?
Giving. Like GOD did for us by giving us his only wonderful SON, Jesus.

Is Christmas only for christians?
Thought Christmas is recongnizes as a Christian celebration ("Christ" + "mas" (mass)),  everyone is invited to join as all religions share one common charity - Giving.

Do I have to be christian to be allowed to celebate Christmas?
Santa has been around a very long time and one thing I have learned is that all religions have many teachings in common. One of them is that giving is one of the greatest act of love a person can, well, give! So you can celebrate Christmas all you want if you remember the reasons of the season - To Give.

I practice a different religion. Will I still get presents from Santa?
YES! If you have been good, or tried you very best, all year!

Does Santa love me if I don't believe in God?
Santa loves everyone and every child in the world. Children who listen to their parents, share their toys and know what it means to give, get their names written on Santa's nice list and will get presents.

Is Santa God?
No. Just a jolly old toymaker who believes that goodness, giving, and love is best for the whole world. Santa practices what he preaches!

Is Santa real?
You bet! Are you real? If you're real than so am I! HoHoHo!

Why does Santa say "HoHoHo"?
It's how Santa laughs. It's a deep chuckling sound that comes deep from the belly. And Santa is a guy with a large belly (some call it the cookie zone). HoHoHo!

What does HoHoHo means?
It's Santa's way of saying "I'm happy, happy, happy." Can you image saying that all day long? Santa did try other ways, but they do not sound the same:

"Ha ha ha," people would think Santa was laughing at them.
"Har har har," people would think Santa was a pirate.
"Hoo hoo hoo," people would think Santa was an owl.

How does Santa know where I live?
The tooth fairy told Santa because she's a friend of his as is the Easter bunny, and also the elves.

We've moved. How will Santa know where to find us?
The post office will send Santa a letter with your new address.

How can Santa keep track of all the Boys and Girls?
Once upon a time, there were fewer children in the world. Santa made all the toys for these children by himself and was able to write a list.

With the invention of the computer, the record keeping has been made very easy and efficient. Santa's elves take care of all of this and enter the information into the main computer, located in a special climate controlled office in Santa's Village.

How does Santa know which gifts to place under a Christmas tree?
Early Christmas Eve, the elves upload the list on Santa's tablet, and also print out name tags on all the individual sacks of toys for each Boy and Girl so Santa doesn't get confused. You wouldn't want Santa to give you the wrong toy!

Santa, are you really that jolly all the time?
I would like to be, but like most people, Santa does get sad, especially when I see Boys and Girls misbehaving.

Does it make it you sad that some people do not believe in you?
Nope. Santa has been around for long time and has seen and heard many thing about Christmas and himself. What Santa always says is Christmas is not about Santa but about goodness, giving, and love. For Santa, that's how the Magic of Christmas remains alive.

Can the Magic of Christmas ever stop?
Unfortunately, yes. The Magic of Christmas ends when Boys and Girls stop believing in the true meaning of Christmas, which is giving. Santa gives gifts, because I love to. Santa hopes that this teaches Boys and Girls when they grow up that the Magic of Christmas will always be there even when you have children of your own, if they remember to give.

Santa, when is it your birthday?
Santa's birthday is December 6, which is also known as St. Nicholas Day.

Where were you born (in what city and country)?
Santa was born in the city of Myra, Turkey. Is that why we eat turkey for Christmas?

How old is Santa?
The last time Santa's birthday cake had a candle for each year alive, we nearly burnt down the North Pole! There was 328 candles then! I stopped counting since then.

What Is Mrs. Claus' First Name?
Mrs. Claus' full name is Jessica Mary Claus. Her mother picked her middle name after the mother of Jesus.

Why doesn't Mrs. Claus go with Santa on Christmas Eve?
Mrs. Claus is the brains behind the way we do things in the North Pole. You may have heard the expression, "Behind every great man there's a great woman"?

There was never a truer word spoken where Mrs. Claus is concerned. Why if it was not for her, there might not even be a Christmas. She is the one who keeps our spirits up and sees to the all the details that must be taken care of every single day. If we didn't have Mrs. Claus, I don't know if Santa could deliver all those gifts on time on Christmas morning!

What do Santa and Mrs. Claus do during the Spring and Summer?
The Claus' accually like to take their holidays in Winter, but somewhere warm! The Bahamas, New Zealand, Caledonia, somewhere where we can wiggle our toes in the warm sand.

Santa, have you ever got stuck in the chimney? If yes, then what did you do to get out?
Oh my yes. Many times! What I do is I sing my favorite Christmas song and wiggle and jiggle until Santa can move again. If I am really stuck, Santa will tickle his mustache which makes Santa sneeze really hard! Ah Choo!

How can Santa deliver presents if there is no chimney?
At one time all houses had chimneys because they had fireplaces. But when furnaces were invented, that presented a real problem for Santa.

To solve that problem, I called on my good elf friend, Gizmo, to help Santa find a magical solution. We came up with a magical key which can open any door. But it works only on Christmas Eve. Santa can now easily enter houses and apartments and leave the gifts for the good Boys and Girls.

If there is a fire in the fireplace, why doesn't Santa get burned?
When Santa comes down the chimney, I blow magic snowflakes to freezes the fire until I go back up the fireplace.

How does Santa fit down a chimney?
Santa pulls on his left ear and shrinks to the width of the chimney. Do you how Santa goes up the chimney? I touches my nose, just like in the story! The wink is only if Santa sees you.

Is there more than one Santa Claus?
No, there is only one Santa Claus, me. But Santa has many, many Santa helpers. Some of these helpers dress up like Santa during the Christmas Season to help Santa keep the spirit of Christmas alive. At the end of the day, they tell Santa if you were nice or naughty.

What was the first toy Santa ever made?
HoHoHo, what a great question! It is carving of a sleeping kitty and it still exist! Santa made it for a little girl, named Brigitta, who once lived in the Black Forest, in Germany, a long time ago. The familly still has it and they place it next to big plate cookies when Santa comes by to deliver the presents.

Why does Santa give toys to children?
Because Santa knows that children do not like liver and onions!

Does Santa Claus get any presents himself?
I most certainly do! Santa favorite gifts is seeing all the happy smiles of children and the joyful looks in their eyes. And all those hugs! But the most perfect gift is when Santa hears you say "Thank You" to your parents and family, not just at Christmas but all year!

Why does Santa wear red?
Santa used to wear many different colours – white, blue, green and even orange. But one day Santa got lost in a sudden snowstorm wearing my white suit. Everyone came out looking for Santa with Rudolph leading them. When they found me, I told how much Santa loves them and thanked each and every one. Mrs. Claus told Santa that it was very difficult to find me because of the white suit. White looks like snow (blue looks like water, green-trees, and orange-bushes). She said that when Rudolph found me, his red nose made Santa's white suit look red. Mrs. Claus then said, "I will make Santa a suit in red, just like you big frozen checks!" I love Mrs. Claus so very much!

What can I leave for Santa to eat when he comes to my house?
Santa loves cookie with a glass of milk. But Santa will eat anything you put out. Add your favorite cookies! But please no liver!

What's your favorite cookie?
Santa's favorite cookie is - the round ones! But I have a sweet tooth for chocolate chips cookies.

How come Santa doesn't get a stomach ache from eating all the cookies and drinking milk?
Have you seen Santa's belly? The elves call it the "Cookie Zone"!

How many cookies do you eat at Christmas?
If you ask Mrs. Claus... TOO MANY! Lots and lots. I love cookies!

How do I become an Elf?
The best way is to do well in school and be good. Then, who knows?

Does Santa really know if kids have been bad or good?
Santa has eyes and spies everywhere. Elves, like the one on your shelf and the ones at the North Pole, are always watching. Mommies and daddies, teachers, babysitters, the school bus drivers, the Toothfairy and the Easter bunny are all part of Team Santa too. They report to me on a daily basis, which means, you should probably be on your best behavior everywhere you go, and eat all you vegetables.

If my elf on the shelf doesn't move every night, does that mean he didn't report to Santa Claus?
Your elf does not have to move to tell Santa you called your sister a not-nice name. Elves communicate with headquarters over special the "Elf-ternet"! (HoHoHo).

Why does Santa have the same wrapping paper as my mom?
Every once in a while, Santa reaches into his sack to pull out a present and discovers it's not wrapped or got ripped coming down the chimney. I will go into your mom/dad's wrapping-paper and borrow some paper to wrap the gift.

What's the worst gift Santa has ever given a kid?
A few years ago, Santa gave someone a small stuffed witch that was so ugly it actually scared me! That's what they wanted! There was no way Santa would be able to sleep if I had to share a bed with that thing. The best gift Santa ever gave was a full drum set. That family must've had a cool musical Christmas and loud!

Does Santa still give a lump of coal to bad kids?
Oh my, not anymore. Santa believes that children are more nice than naughty. But Santa does remembered one child who was so bad, I had given him enough coal to heat his house for a whole winter! But coal is not very good for the environment. Now Santa will now give a toy with a message "Batteries not included". If the child is still not nice the next year, Santa will give the wrong batteries! 

Will Santa get me everything on my list when I visit him at the mall?
Santa always tells Boys and Girls that I will do the best I can, but Santa will not make any promises. Also Family members may want to give you a present from your list, so that they can pretend to be Santa!

Can I have a puppy for Christmas?
Santa get asked that a lot - "Can I have a puppy/kitty?" I explain that, because it gets so cold in the sleigh, Santa doesn't want them catching a cold. Also Transport Canada has said that the transportation of animal is not allowed without proper documentation. International rules as well. Plus animals are not presents, they are friends. But Santa can bring collars, water bowls and brushes!

You don't look like the other Santa I saw. Why?
Sometimes Boys and Girls will come up and say, "You're different from the other Santa Claus I saw," and I'll say, "Well, that was one of my helpers". Then I will ask them if they were nice to that Santa. Remember, he reports back to me!

Can you bring back Grandma?
Santa is very sorry to hear about losses in the family and he knows how much it hurts. But there are things that Santa is not able to do.

Santa would say "I am very sad for you. I can see that your Grandma loved you and took great care of you, because you're thinking of her right now. I am so sure that Grandma is looking down on you from heaven. Your family and friends are here for you as well.

You know, your Grandma did ask me the same thing when she was your age, sitting down on the same knee. I told her that her family and friends would be there for her. She had a lot of help, took her time to heal. And she turned out OK, right? So will you. Please remember that many people, Santa along with Mrs. Claus, the elves and reindeers, love you so very very much.

Can I see your sleigh and your reindeers?
Children always want to see Santa's sleigh when I visit their homes. Santa explains that the reindeers are playing those reindeer games with their other deer friends in the forest. The sled is on the roof, so it is too dangerous to go see it.

This is why you might see Santa driving around in a car. It is the only chance I have to drive because there is too much snow at the North Pole for vehicles. Snowmobiles make too much noise and scare the reindeers.

Do you remember me?
Boys and Girls like to test Santa's memory: "Hey, do you remember when I saw you a couple of weeks ago" - and I'll say "Oh, yes! But sometimes Santa draws a blank." It happens as you get older, and I am very old! I tell them that is why Santa has all their names written down. But I do remember faces.

So then I ask the kids, "What are the names of my reindeers?" and if they say "Rudolph!", I say, "Yes, Rudolph is one of the reindeer." I then ask them if the know the name of my other favorite reindeers and we would name them together (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen).

Why don't you know my name?
The Nice List is very, very long! I can't remember all of those names. The Naughty List is real short and Santa does remember those names. So if I know your name, there's a pretty good chance you're on the Naughty List.

How do you get around the whole world in one night?
That is a great question! I actually have a whole day, 24 hours, to deliver all the presents. It’s not night time everywhere on Earth! Also, my reindeers fly very, very fast. So fast that Santa will bet you a candy cane that you can never catch them!

If you look at a globe or a ball and you shine a light at it, you will see that half of it is bright, called daytime, and the other half is dark, nighttime. The Earth also turns, like a top. Now where daytime and nighttime meet, is called "Time to go to bed" or dusk. This is when Santa travels, following the Earth as it goes into nighttime. And the first place Santa will visit is Fiji and finishes in Hawaii.

How do the elves make enough toys for all kids?
Christmas Village, where everyone lives and works, is very big. After Christmas, the elves, Mrs. Claus and myself will have meetings to discuss what went well and how to improve the machines to help he elves build the wonderful, beautiful toys for all the Boys and Girls. And we would also see what did not go well and try to to correct it. Just like going to school, we do learn from our mistakes.

How come you don't see any planes on Christmas Eve?
Have you ever heard a plane flying in the sky on Christmas Eve? Actually you should be asleep! What really happens is that all the planes stop flying while Santa is in the area to allow me to deliver your presents!

Why do you live in the North Pole?
Because I'm allergic to penguins. No, that is not true. This is place where all the reindeers live.

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