Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

The magic of Santa December 23, 2024

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
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A vintage Santa waits inside a vintage vehicle at the recent “Vintage Christmas in the Barn” holiday market in Cannon City. The holiday sale is over. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

DO MOST KIDS STILL BELIEVE in Santa Claus? Or at least the magic of Santa? I hope so.

There’s something profoundly wonderful about Santa. He represents the best in all of us. He listens. He’s always happy. He loves cookies and milk. And he doesn’t promise us the moon. To do so would not be in our best interests, although a child with a long list of wants may disagree.

Generations of kids have wondered what they will find under the tree at Christmas. This scene is inside the barn at the recent “Vintage Christmas in the Barn” holiday sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

There was a time when I paged through the Sears & Roebuck Christmas catalog looking for toys I thought I needed. It really was a futile effort as I never got them anyway. But I was dreaming as every child is wont to do before Christmas. Except, I think, in 2024 kids are more likely to get what they want.

Outdoor decor for sale at “Vintage Christmas in the Barn” earlier in the holiday season. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

I wonder what Santa thinks of all the requests today. Would he prefer to hire elves who are skilled only in woodworking versus computer programming? Would he prefer simpler toys that engage the imagination and spark creativity to so many electronics? Does his head spin when he inventories the ever-growing number of gadgets and batteries piling up at the North Pole?

Holiday goods for sale at “Vintage Christmas in the Barn.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Just thinking about everything Santa needs to keep straight makes my head spin. At least he’s contracted with others to help in gift delivery. I never thought one team of reindeer could possibly handle the job. Santa can’t do everything. There’s a lot of pressure to get gifts delivered on time. (Thank you, postal workers, and others.)

An oversized, handcrafted wooden Santa greets shoppers at “Vintage Christmas in the Barn.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Despite all of the changes through the decades, Santa remains as popular as ever, so it seems to me. Parents still plop crying babies on Santa’s lap for photos. Kids approach the Jolly Old Guy with a mix of trepidation and hope. In the end, Santa still holds a sense of wonder that remains timeless through the generations. And therein lies the magic of Santa. Do you believe?

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The magic of believing in Santa December 23, 2022

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
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This shows part of my small collection of Santas (and one St. Nicholas) and Santa cards displayed on a shelf in my dining room. The Santas on the left and right are candles received from my Aunt Ardyce at a family gift exchange in the 1960s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo December 2022)

MY OLDEST DAUGHTER TEXTED on Wednesday asking for a cookie recipe. The kids, she said, would want to leave a treat for Santa.

Oh, to be young again and believe in an overweight bearded man in a red suit bearing gifts on Christmas. Just to clarify, the 6 ½-year-old granddaughter is questioning Santa’s validity. But Izzy hasn’t vocalized her suspicions to her younger brother, Isaac. I expect she wants to share her doubts, yet is hesitating lest she’s wrong. Who wants to risk Santa not leaving gifts?

There’s something to be said for believing in Santa, no matter your age. Or maybe, more accurately, there’s something to be said for the magic that accompanies believing. So I suppose, in reality, I believe in Santa still.

I believe in the joy he brings. The smiles. The goodness. The laughter. The reminder that, even in difficult times, Santa navigates around life’s obstacles through a dark sky, Rudolph’s nose lighting the way. That’s such a strong visual, one we’ve seen illustrated many times in children’s picture books.

This time of year, so many individuals, organizations, churches and more bring joy. They are, like Santa, the bearers of gifts. Toys, food, clothing, gift cards… They become the magic. But it isn’t all about the tangible “things,” although those are decidedly needed and appreciated. It’s also about what giving means to the recipient. It means someone understands, someone cares, someone sees.

Santa is not fictional. He’s real, in a magical sort of way that is timeless and believable, even to the grandma of a suspicious first grader.

TELL ME: What are your thoughts on Santa?

© Copyright 2022 Audrey Kletscher Helbling