Guest Author - Phyllis Doyle Burns

Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

- Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman, 1947

Our Dear Ol' Santa Claus, as we know him in America, is the "right jolly old elf" who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve with a bag full of toys. He fills the stockings hanging by the fireplace, tucks presents under the tree, and eats the cookies and drinks the milk that the children have left on a pretty plate by the tree, while his reindeer happily munch on the hay and oats that have been placed out on the lawn or sometimes up on the roof of the house, depending on just how ambitious your father is.

The outfit Santa wears is bright red and velvety soft. The pants are tucked into shiny black boots, the hip-length jacket is trimmed in white fur with a black belt around the middle, and the soft cone-shaped hat flopped over to one side with a white pom-pom at the tip and a band of white fur around the bottom. He really makes quite a handsome looking character. And of course the twinkling eyes, the rosy cheeks, the long fluffy white beard and mustache complete his merry look.

So - how do we explain to some children how Santa manages to get in the house if there is no fireplace, no chimney? Well, in some cases, Mom or Dad may wait up for Santa and let him in the front door. Or Santa, since he is magical, just wishes the door to open for him so he can go in and do his work without bothering the parents or anyone, then remembers to make sure the door locks when he leaves. This, of course, is the most sensible way in the absence of a chimney.

And just how does Santa know which toys to bring to each child? There are so many children and so many homes to visit - how does Santa keep all this straight? Well - there are several ways. In the first place, Santa just knows everything about every child. He knows who has been good and who has not. I remember one year, my six siblings and I had to wait till New Year's Eve to get our presents from Santa because we were really giving Mom a difficult time. We learned that year, and never forgot, to behave ourselves, or Christmas would not be so merry. Santa knew everything about us so all Mom had to do throughout the year was to remind us that if we wanted to be happy on Christmas morning, then we had better be good.

Somehow, Mom and Dad always managed to make sure we had a very Merry Christmas. And we always remembered the true meaning of Christmas.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"

- Charles Wesley, 1707 - 1788
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