Who is Santa?

Do you remember going to see Santa when you were a child? I remember going to the rotunda at Ridgedale and waiting in line to see Santa. There was a fake wooden cabin surrounded by scenery and decorations. When we finally reached the front of the line, I got twenty-seven seconds to ask Santa for my Christmas gifts and to take a photo with him.

In 2019, as we prepared for the Kids Christmas Program with the fifth and sixth graders, the idea of Santa in space came up. One kid looked around and quickly clarified that “We all know Santa’s not real, right?” They all nodded in agreement, but I disagreed.

Santa, as in a magical man in a red suit who comes down a chimney to bring toys to children, doesn’t exist. But the gifts under the tree had to come from somewhere. The Christmas dinner had to be planned, the ingredients bought, and the food cooked by someone. The tree and the lights and the decorations had to be set up somehow.

Who is the Santa in your life? Take a minute today to thank them for everything they do to make sure the magic of Christmas is alive. And then help share a little bit of that magic with another person.