A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

(101 Ways to Create Christmas Magic) By The Inspired Elf John Hagerman

Inspired Elf Publishing Wayzata, MN

Copyright 2013 by John Hagerman All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of John Hagerman, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted under copyright law. For permission requests, write to: Inspired Elf Publishing P.O. Box 55 Wayzata, MN 55391 Or email at: Info@InspiredElf.com

www.SantaGuides.com
ISBN 978-0-9889136-9-1 Cover and Interior Illustrations: R. M. Hanson Editor: Monica Frischkorn Book Design: John Hagerman

To my mother, who instilled the spirit of Santa; to my wife, who nurtures the spirit; and to my kids, who live the Spirit of Santa year round.

INTRODUCTION
The first Christmas after I started dating my wifeto-be, Jan, I became reawakened to how magical my single mother had managed to make Christmas for my two brothers and me. For Jans family, who all worked at her fathers jewelry store during the Christmas season, Christmas had become an afterthought; the end of an exhausting few weeks of long hours, impatient customers, and frazzled nerves, worrying about whether theyd sell enough to keep the store open another year. The tree and decorations were put up out of habit, rather than as a meaningful family experience or expression of faith and Christmas Eve was spent in numb recognition that the next day was finally a day off after five straight weeks without a break. The gifts her family exchanged Christmas morning were, more often than not, items family members had picked out and wrapped for themselves, rather than lovingly chosen

presents somebody had thoughtfully selected for them. What other gifts might have been under the tree tended to be socks, underwear, and clothes that would have been bought anyway because the old ones were worn out or had been outgrown. It was a utilitarian day of rest rather than a day of magic, joy, and celebration. Having spent several years in the jewelry business myself, which is how Jan and I met, I can understand how her family handled Christmas, and that makes me appreciate even more what my mother did for us every Christmas. The first Christmas Jan and I spent together, we spent Christmas Eve with her family in Moorhead, Minnesota. We experienced her familys usual routine. The next morning we got up at 5 a.m. to make the drive to the Twin Cities to spend Christmas morning with my family. What a contrast! She couldnt believe how nostalgic I was about my childhood Christmases and how excited I was for her to experience it firsthand. Christmas had always been a combination of exhaustion, tension, and disappointment for her and she just couldnt understand why I thought it was such a big deal. As we drove I told her about how my mother had made Christmas magic for us, while at the same time making sure we always understood the real reasons we celebrated Christmas. Telling her about my Christmases growing up rekindled a love of Christmas in me. When I was young my Mom worked all day at the YWCA in Minneapolis, and most evenings at the Old Log Theater in Excelsior, Minnesota, struggling to keep the bills paid. We were always too broke for Christmas to be about rampant consumerism, yet I dont think we kids ever had an inkling we were poor. I think Mom worked hard to make birthdays, Easter, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and especially Christmas, magical days to make up for how little we had the rest of the year. She was good at it, and I still get a warm glow thinking about it. For instance, Mom made sure we learned the true message of Christmas by taking us to the late night church service. That service served three purposes: it reminded us

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of what Christmas was really about, it strengthened our ties to the people in our church, and it insured we would be quickly asleep when we got home so she could assemble and arrange the gifts for Christmas morning. The late service also insured wed sleep late enough the next morning to give her a little time to sleep. (We still managed to be up by seven.) When we went to bed Christmas Eve there were only a few gifts under the tree. When we got up in the morning, to our eyes it always looked as though the walls were about to buckle from trying to contain all the gifts! Our excitement grew as we realized the stockings were filled and the house smelled of baking rolls. As we came down the steps, our jaws dragging on the floor at the abundance, the lights on the tree seemed to shine a little brighter, and the ornaments wed handmade seemed a little prettier than they had been when we went to bed. The Christmas cookies and milk wed left out for Santa (cookies Mom had helped us kids bake a couple of days before) had been eaten and there was always a note from Santa thanking us for the treats. Mom only let us empty our stockings, and play with the toys Santa put there, until my grandparents arrived. It heightened the anticipation and excitement we felt as we wondered what was in the mounds of packages. Once we actually got to start opening the gifts, she made us open gifts one at a time. My younger brother, being the smallest, would always pick the first gift for someone else to open. The last one to open a gift would then pick out the gift the next person would open. At the end of the day, the stacks of gifts were never very large, but savoring every gift that everyone got, and hearing the ooohs and aaahs and thank-yous for the gifts wed given, made it seem endlessly wonderful. My mother used many of the strategies outlined in this book, such as going to visit Santa, making decorations and baking together, writing letters to Santa, putting out cookies and milk, and making us wait until Christmas morning to discover the gifts Santa brought. But the joy she brought to the day infected me at a young age, and

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continues to grow in me as Jan and I work to keep the magic in Christmas for Holden and Priscilla, our two children. Moms gone now, but her love and her ability to make holidays special lives on. She would have shaken her head at some of the ideas in this book, laughed at others, and some she might have even tried. I know she would have appreciated the thought behind all of them. John Hagerman The Inspired Elf

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CONTENTS
Santa History and Traditions .......................p. 1 The Run-up to Christmas .............................p. 16 . . . . Connecting Kids to Santa ................................ p. 75 Gifts and Santa ............................................. p. 90 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ............ p. 109 After the Kids Are Asleep .......................... p. 122 . . . Santa the Rest of the Year ............................. p. 136 Santa IS Alive! .............................................................p. 139

A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

SANTA: HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

Believe in Love and Magic

To my mother, Christmas was about love and joy and magic; it was about the smile on childrens faces and the warmth in their hearts; but most of all, it was about opening her kids up to the awe and wonder of the great gift the world celebrates Christmas morning. After all, its love we celebrate on Christmas Day. Its love that makes the season what it is. When we remember that love is about giving to our

Santa: History and Traditions loved ones, and to those less fortunate, we understand the foundation of why Santa is an important part of Christmas for most of us. Santa, at his best, is about the gifts that are given, not what we receive. If youre reading this book theres a pretty good chance that you either already believe in the spirit of Santa yourself, or you want to believe. Its hard to keep others believing in Santa and the magic of the season, if you dont. You dont have to go crazy over Christmas, like Ive been known to do, but if you want to have any success keeping the people you love believing, youve got to at least appreciate Christmas and want the joy and love of that season to infect them, too. It all starts with your attitude. If you believe, youll probably be able to help others to believe. If you dont believe, but pretend that you do, those around you will know the truthespecially the kids. If you dont believe right now, then do your best to suspend your disbelief. Find a way to replace your skepticism with an honest desire to rediscover the magic of the season. If you start looking for the love and magic theres a good chance youll suddenly discover the spirit of Santa starting to fill you up. You dont have to feel it to get started helping others to believe, but when you realize youre feeling the spirit yourself, others will be inspired by it, too. When you feel the spirit, nurture it. It wont take long for it to take root and turn into Christmas magic for you and everyone around you.

Learn and Share Some History of Santa

If all you know about Santa is what you see on TV or at the mall each December, its pretty difficult to inspire much belief in the power of Santa. After all, the guys in

A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

the commercials and the men in the rented Santa suit are strictly commercial inventions designed to get the kids to pressure you into spending more money at Christmas. The kids quickly learn this, and the magic of Santa often fades to cynicism by adulthood. Thats why learning some of the history and evolution of Santa, and sharing what you know is Number Two for keeping the spirit of Santa alive. There is little dispute that Santa Claus was inspired by Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in Lycia, a part of Asia Minor, during the Fourth Century A.D. To understand how an ancient bishop from the eastern Mediterranean became our modern-day St. Nick, we need to understand a little of his real life. According to the St. Nicholas Center (www. stnicholas.org), in Holland, Michigan, Nicholas became a bishop at just 17. He lived his faith in everyday life and his actions spread his fame throughout the Middle East in stories told by sailors. Nicholas was outspoken and would stand up to those in power and position if it meant helping his flock. How he became the patron saint of sailors goes a long way toward explaining the roots of Santa Claus. In the first half of the fourth century there were three major crop failures and an accompanying famine that threatened Lycia. People were hungry, and when Bishop Nicholas heard that ships loaded with precious grain were about to leave the harbor for Alexandria, he took action. He went down to the docks and begged the sailors to take a measure of grain from each ship to feed the people. The sailors refused, saying that the wheat was meted and measured and that they had a contract for delivery of every grain. As the story goes, Nicholas told them, Do this, and I promise that it shall not be lessened or diminished when you get to your destination. The sailors relented and left a measure from each ship in Lycia. When they got to Alexandria and unloaded the wheat, the full weight of the wheat was accounted for. Bishop Nicholas gave the wheat to all who needed it during

Santa: History and Traditions the two years of the famine. His actions and the miraculous full measures of wheat established him as a legend. Sailors spread the story, and the legend, throughout Europe. Sailors brought St. Nicholas with them to the new world. In Greenland, Vikings built a cathedral and dedicated it to St. Nicholas. Christopher Columbus landed in a port on Haiti on December 6, 1492, St. Nicholas Day, and named the port in Haiti for the saint. Jacksonville, Florida was originally a Spanish settlement named St. Nicholas Ferry. During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century reformers tried to stamp out the worship of saints, and St. Nicholas was no different. Both reformers and counter-reformers, tried to get rid of customs based on St. Nicholas, but, thankfully, had very little luck. The common people loved St. Nick, insuring his survival on the European continent, and people continued the tradition of placing nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes children left by beds, windowsills, or by the fireplace. Only in England was there any success in permanently altering the St. Nicholas traditions. The Puritans succeeded in wiping out the worship of saints, only to have St. Nicholas replaced with Father Christmas, a blatant variation on the St. Nicholas legend. Replacing St. Nicholas with Father Christmas was the start of a trend toward a more secular approach to Christmas observances. While we know that the Puritans and other Protestant reformers who settled the first colonies in America did not bring St. Nicholas with them, there is some dispute about who did bring the St. Nicholas traditions to the colonies. Many reports credit the Dutch with bringing St. Nicholas to New Amsterdam, but there is little actual evidence. It seems more likely that German settlers in Pennsylvania were the first Colonists to observe the St. Nicholas traditions in connection with Christmas. Some years later, well after the traditions were firmly established by the Germans, there were accounts of St. Nicholas visiting the Dutch in New York on New Years Eve. After the American Revolution, many of the Old

A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

Dutch traditions in New York were revived. In 1804, John Pintard, who founded the New York Historical Society, began promoting St. Nicholas as a saint for both the city and the society. Washington Irving joined the society in 1809 and, on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, he published Knickerbockers History of New York a satirical work of fictionthat contained many references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. His references were some of the first to transform the saintly bishop into an elfish character with a clay pipe. It seems likely that Irvings fanciful tales were the origin of the legends of St. Nicholas in New Amsterdam. Included in the stories are: the first Dutch ship in New Amsterdam had St. Nicholas as its figurehead; that St. Nicholas Day was observed in the colony; that the colonys first church was dedicated to St. Nicholas; and, as the first note of our modern Santa, that St. Nicholas came down chimneys to bring gifts to children. The New York Historical Society held the first St. Nicholas dinner on December 6, 1810. Alexander Anderson was commissioned to create a painting that was the first image of St. Nicholas in America. The painting gave St. Nick the reputation for gift giving because it showed an elfish figure filling stockings hanging by a fireplace with childrens treats. In 1823, the jolly elf image was solidified in the American imagination by the now classic poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. Its better known today as, The Night Before Christmas.

Read Night Before Christmas and Be Able to Quote It

When it comes to Santa, no story is more iconic than the The Night Before Christmas. Its been read for over 185 years, been made into numerous movies and television

Santa: History and Traditions specials, and is constantly quoted on cards, in commercials, and on the radio during the holidays. Its ubiquitous, but thats also what makes it useful as Number Three for keeping the Spirit of Santa alive. If you read the story to someone, especially kids, every year, if you learn some of it by heart and can toss a quote in at just the right moment, it goes a long way toward building up the magic of Christmas. In case you dont have a copy handy, here it is in its entirety:

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads; And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winters nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of midday to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all! As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the housetop the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyeshow they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

Santa: History and Traditions He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night. The poems use of much of Washington Irvings St.Nicholas imagery made the it enormously popular. Artists and writers continued to influence how St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, was portrayed in America, moving him toward the contemporary of Santa we know today. In 1863, Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, began a series of black-and-white drawings for Harpers Weekly based on Irvings work. They showed Santa as a smiling, rotund elf, with a flowing white beard, wearing fur trimmed clothes, and holding an ever-present clay pipe. He continued drawing the series until 1886 and solidified much of the vision we have of Santa today. Along the way the old German Sankt Niklaus and Dutch Sinterklaas, morphed into Santa Claus. Early paintings of Santa showed him in a green suit, but by 1906 he was being portrayed in his trademark red suit and matching bag. For the next 25 years Santa was portrayed in a range of body sizes, clothing styles, and colors. By the end of the 1920s, artists N.C. Wyeth and Norman Rockwell were consistently showing Santa in the fur-trimmed red velvet suit. The image that permanently established Santas iconic status in contemporary culture, and cemented the jolly red-suited, white-bearded elf in the American imagination, was the 1931 appearance of Santa in a Coca-Cola ad by Haddon Sundblom. Coke continued the ads for 35 years. The success of Coca-Colas vision of Santa helped popularize him in North America. Hes even making headway in Europe where Santas popularity threatens to unseat the image of St. Nicholas, who is still viewed as a Christian bishop and saint. At first glance, it may be hard to see any resemblance

A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

between our modern Santa and the fourth century Bishop Nicholas, the saint who was extraordinarily kind and generous. But, if you look close enough, Nicholas model of giving is reflected in Santa. Nicholas loved children and cared for the poor, and set an example of what is at the center of Christmas. When you look, you see that example and it reminds us to keep that simple, authentic generosity and love at the center of our Christmas celebrations.

Learn the Roots and History of Christmas Traditions

Santa doesnt exist in a vacuum and, though the current image of Santa was popularized for commercial reasons, Santa himself was popular long before the ad campaigns. Santa grew out of Christmas and that ties him to ancient traditions from around the world. Knowing some of these traditions and being able to share them with others adds to the richness of the season. Seeing people light up when you share some of the lore can reinforce your beliefs, too, which is why Im making this Number Four for keeping the magic of Santa and Christmas. You may also find new joys, celebrations, and traditions to add to your season as well.

The Bell

In cultures throughout Europe, bells have been traditionally used to ring in special occasions, announce the time, and raise alarms. In the United States, the Salvation Army effectively uses the connection between Santa and bells to raise money. Their bell ringers, and the accompanying red kettle, have made the bells an iconic Christmas image.

Santa: History and Traditions

The Chimney

Chimney sweeps were very common in Victorian England, and they were seen as symbols of good luck for the New Year. References to Santa coming down the chimney in Old Christmas, Washington Irvings story about St. Nicholas, and the poem The Night Before Christmas, firmly paired the chimney with Santa as an image of the season.

The Sledge or Sleigh

Santa is invariably portrayed with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, an image that is shown in countless Nordic petroglyphs. The petroglyphs frequently show the sleigh, or sledge, loaded with a tree. Today, the only country that has domesticated reindeer as part of its culture is Finland, a fact that seems to confirm that this is the origin of the connection of sleigh and reindeer to Santa.

The Tree

Old petroglyphs show an image of a fir tree being carried on a sleigh and may be part of the connection of the fir tree to Christmas. More popular mythology is the Yule tree that is erected at the winter solstice that marks the shortest day of the year. The timing of the Christmas celebration, so close to the solstice, was likely chosen by early church leaders as a way of connecting pagan rituals to important church dates, thereby making it easier to bring pagans into the new religion. You can find even more historical details about St. Nicholas at www.stnicholas.org.

Celebrate St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated December 6. With the Bishop of Myras reputation for giving gifts, loving children,

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A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

and helping the poor, it seems almost inevitable that he would be adopted as a symbol for celebrating Christmas. St. Nicholas Day is still celebrated in many places around the world. If you cant find a celebration, consider asking your community or a church to start celebrating the day. If you prefer something simpler, trying having a special family dinner to celebrate the day. Celebrating St. Nicholas Day gives you a chance to teach your family (or others) about where Santa came from, and celebrating a day just for St. Nick creates the opportunity to talk about who he is and how he fits into Christmas. It also lets you stay true to the real meaning of Christmas when its celebrated on December 25.

Learn and Use Santas Name From Around the World

Theres nothing like knowing a persons name to build a personal connection, and the same is true of Santa. When you learn some of the names for Santa, or whoever it is that brings children presents at Christmas time around the world, you build a strong belief in him, and you create connections to different cultures around the world. Heres a good list to get you started. In the United States and Canada we use the name Santa Claus. In England, Father Christmas is the traditional Christmas gift giver. His coat and beard are much longer than those of the American Santa.

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Santa: History and Traditions In France Pere Nol is the name used for Father Christmas. German children use Christindl or Kris Kring, refering to the Christ Child---the one who brings gifts. In China, he is called Shengdan Laoren. Latin America and Spain share many similarities and many variations in Christmas customs. Most of these countries are predominantly Catholic and believe el Nio, or Baby Jesus, brings children presents. In Brazil and Peru, hes called Papai Noel. In Puerto Rico January 6, at the celebration of Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, is when many children receive gifts. Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas Day, hence The Twelve Days of Christmas. Most Puerto Ricans also celebrate and exchange gifts on December 25. (Three kings bring toys on Epiphany in several other countries too.) In Italy Babbo Natale, (Father Christmas) brings gifts on Epiphany when kids set their shoes by the door the day before. In the morning, they get up to discover their shoes filled with small toys and treats. Babbo Natale comes on Christmas Eve in some parts of Italy. Like Spain, Portugal, and most Latin American countries, Italy is mostly Catholic. For these countries December 25 is traditionally more religiously remembered for the birth of Christ. Epiphany, or Little Christmas, is the day for gift giving. The Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos; Melchor, Gaspar and Baltsar), fill childrens shoes under the Christmas tree on January 5, to be discovered the morning of Epiphany. Santa Claus, known as Papa Noel, brings gifts Christmas Day. Some lucky children receive gifts both days.

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A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

In Morocco, he is known as Black Peter. In Japan, Santa is just Santa or Santa Claus. He is also frequently called Santa no ojisan, which translates as Uncle Santa. In Sweden, Jultomten visits the evening before Christmas day pulling a big bag of julklappar (Christmas presents) in the deep snow. In Norway P Norsk is what Santa is called, and along with his elves Julenissen, he arrives on the evening of December 24. In the Netherlands, he is called Kerstman. In Finland, he is called Joulupukki. The Dutch call him Sinter Klaas, as we learned from his arrival in the American Colonies. Traditionally he rides a white horse and leaves gifts in wooden shoes. In Russia, he is called Grandfather Frost. That is ded moroz (the second o has the accent and the last z is pronounced as s).

Read Virginias Letter Each Year

The letter below, from eight-year-old Virginia OHanlon to Francis P. Church, the editor of the New

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Santa: History and Traditions York Sun in 1897, became an instant Christmas classic. It makes for an inspiring read and can go a long way teaching about the true meaning of Christmas, as well as laying the foundation for a lifelong belief in Santa. The letter and Francis Churchs response are printed in their entirety. By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897. We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: Dear Editor I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, If you see it in The Sun, its so. Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia OHanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be mens or childrens, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

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extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but thats no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the babys rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

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The Run-Up to Christmas

THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS

Christmas creep is what I call the aggressive commercialization of Christmas, and it makes it more difficult to keep believing in Santa. Christmas displays start being put up the moment back-to-school supplies take a back seat, startling shoppers who have the misfortune to discover Christmas decorations set up in one aisle, while the next aisle is merchandised for Halloween. I prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving to start trying to engage the magic of the Christmas season. Almost all of my tips focus on the four weeks of Advent that precede Christmas. One of the exceptions is decorating the outside of your home for Christmas. You can obviously put up the lights in December, and for me theres something purist about that, but putting the lights up before Halloween, in order to do it in pleasant, non-freezing weather, is acceptable. (Its not a lot of fun trying to wrap frozen strands of lights around bushes, rails, and gutters. Its a lot easier, and more fun, when the lights are warm and flexible, and so are your fingers.) Thanksgiving was the official start of the Christmas season when I was growing up. After eating Christmas dinner, usually at my grandparents, my mother would drive my brothers and me into downtown Minneapolis to look

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A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

at the citys Christmas lights and decorations that had been turned on that day for the first time. We then parked and walked to stare in wonder at the animated figures and scenes in the big windows of Daytons, Minneapolis version of Macys department store. The windows became clothing and merchandise displays just three decades ago, and Daytons itself disappeared as a brand years agothe stores are now, in fact, Macys. With the warm memories the ritual created in me, its hard for me to even think about starting the Christmas season before Thanksgiving, so Im going to exercise the authors prerogative and start there.

Make Your Home Attractive to Santa

I believe one of the best ways to keep kids and yourself infused with the Christmas spirit is to make your home attractive to Santa and alive with some of the trappings of the season. Make your home attractive to Santa is purposely a vague statement open to wide interpretation. If you want it to give you license to become the maniacal yard decorator that attracts thousands of light-addicted pilgrims and spends

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The Run-Up to Christmas thousands on your electric bill, go for it. If, on the other hand, you prefer a simple, yet tastefully decorated tree, a few strategically placed decorations, and softly playing Christmas music, thats great, too. Its even good if you decide Making your home attractive for Santa means nothing more than a good excuse to give the inside of your home the scrubbing youve been meaning to give it for the past eight months. The point is, the Christmas season is a time when were waiting for something new to come into the world. Its a time of shared anticipation and your home should reflect that coming change in its appearance and tone. The change will lift your kids and your family into the holiday spirit and, if you handle it right, it can help all of you get closer to the spirit of the season and to each other while creating some great Christmas memories.

Get the Kids to Help Clean for Santa

I know clean means different things to different people. With two kids at home and my wife and I both working, clean means a full dishwasher, a path cleared through the toys, and the clothes either hung up or down the laundry chute. When weve cleared enough room to actually vacuum, all four of us feel a sense of accomplishment. For my brothers, clean has always meant a pristine state of clutter-free and dust-free order that hasnt been possible in my house since my kids were born. Im not going to define clean, but I will try to give you some reasons why your clean can be part of renewing beliefs in Santa (and give you some side benefits in the process). Cleaning your home in anticipation will make you feel better. It also provides lots of opportunities to

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bond with kids by making it a game, or by getting them to tell you all the reasons a clean house is more attractive to Santa. Cleaning can be a great cue for getting a fresh start on attitudes, and goals. It can also give you a wonderful opportunity to talk about what Santa and Christmas mean. If kids resist helping, there are things you can say that might make them more cooperative. Try, Santa may not be able to leave presents for you if he steps on something, or trips on something and hurts himself. Or, In order to make toys for kids all over the world, the elves have to keep Santas workshop picked up and in order. What will Santa think if he sees our house like this? Use your imagination. Finally, a clean house makes it more comfortable to invite friends over to share some holiday cheer. Having a house full of friendswhether your contemporaries, the kids friends, or all the relativesis a great way to share the joy of the season or to re-energize yourself if youve misplaced your little bag of seasonal cheer. And starting with a clean house makes it easier to keep the upcoming deluge of packages, new toys, and muddy boots from inundating you.

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Set Up the One-In-One-Out Rule

Part of our preparations for Christmas includes a reminder to our kids of the One-In-One-Out Rule. That means for every new toy the kids get, one toy has to go out of the house. If the toy is still in good condition it either gets donated, sold, or traded in at a childrens resale shop. The process of going through all the kids toys gives them a chance to understand what a privilege it is for them to have

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The Run-Up to Christmas as many nice toys as they do, and it gives us all a chance to connect back to St. Nicholas and his tradition of helping the poorboth good things to reinforce at Christmas. Here are a couple of notes about this rule to make it work. First, set it up ahead of time, dont let the kids postpone their decisions until Christmas Eve. Around our house, we keep the rule in place year round, and that makes the Christmas discussion easier. Second, help the kids develop a plan for which toys are being donated, sold, or traded. A little planning will make it fun and easy.

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Give Mathoms
We use the Christmas Cleaning and One-InOne-Out Rule as ways of discovering great mathoms to give. (Mathoms are a tradition established by Hobbits.) Mathoms are things weve enjoyed but no longer need, and that we know someone else would definitely enjoy getting for Christmas. Most people call it re-gifting, but we prefer

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A Parents Guide to Santa Claus

mathom because it makes it more playful and fun. We do this all year long as a practical way to prevent the possibility of being crushed under a collapsing mound of toys, but it is particularly important this time of year.

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Take the Kids on a Tour of Lights

Ive already mentioned my family going out on Thanksgiving to look at the lights and decorations the city and department stores had put up, but my mother didnt stop there. At least once or twice during the season shed take us on a drive to look at homes decorated and lit up for Christmas. We loved the beauty of the lights, and the time spent with her. Wed always talk about Christmas and what we wanted from Santaa fact Im sure my mother counted on in making her list of what to get us. She made the drives fun and entertaining, and it cost nothing more than the price of gas. In most cities around the country its easy to find a list of the best places to visit on your Tour of Lights. Many TV stations and newspapers maintain active lists, and, if they dont, it shouldnt be difficult to find someone who has collected the information on lights in your town and posted them online. If, after searching high and low, you cant find any information on beautiful Christmas light displays in your area, then youve been given a wonderful opportunity to do something special for your community, and have a blast doing it. Make it your familys mission to gather or solicit the information about the best light displays, and post it online yourself. (You could prod your local media outlet to get on the ball, too.)

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