To be clear: no, I do not believe that a chubby man in a bright red suit slides down chimneys and flies around the world on December 25th. But I do believe in the spirit of Santa Claus and of the season.
I used to feel weird and oddly selfish saying that Christmas was my favorite holiday (because who doesn’t love giving and getting presents?). But as I grew older, I found myself having more and more nostalgia for the Christmastime of the past and realized that Christmas, to me, is about the warm, cozy feeling that blankets my world.
There is something truly magical about Christmas lights shining vibrantly in the night, the cheeriness of the reds, greens and whites lining streets, and of lit Christmas trees in living rooms. But the spirit of the holiday is what provides me with the most comfort and joy. Things do not always go as planned, and it is little resolutions that I best express my feelings towards Santa.
Let me explain: last Christmas, I purchased an interactive board game that my family used to play together. I had to buy it used because it is no longer produced. It arrived just in time, and I wrapped it as a gift to the family and set it under our Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, we decided to play the game. But here’s the catch: the previous owner had left the batteries in, and they had leaked. We weren’t sure if the game would work, and I was devastated. We managed to replace the batteries, and we waited. After a slight pause, the narrator of the game spoke. The mood in the room completely changed, and we were able to play. It was a magical moment, a small Christmas miracle.
I’m sure that most of us have experienced something like this. My mom introduced the idea of the spirit of Santa Claus to me through a recollection of a past Christmas during my childhood, when our car was stolen with our presents in the trunk. Luckily, the car was returned with the gifts. It wasn’t until this past year that I fully understood what she meant by the spirit of Santa Claus. Now, I can firmly say that I believe in Santa Claus and the season.
My all-time favorite Christmas movie is “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” which I highly recommend. One song in particular summarizes my emotions best. It is called “I Believe in Santa Claus,” (shocking, huh?). In all seriousness, it has a line that goes, “just like love, I know he’s there, waiting to be missed.” To me, Santa is love, Santa is happiness, Santa is the board game working when you don’t think it will, he is the warm and comfortable feeling that provides me with hope and joy for the upcoming year. That is why I believe in Santa Claus.