My parents went to great lengths to make me and my brother believe in Santa Claus growing up. Christmas has always been a big deal in the Oliver home, with all of the church functions, family outings and of course the unwrapping of gifts. Here’s a how to on keeping the spirit of Christmas alive for any young ones in your family.
Step one: Invest in a Santa suit.
By Chelsea Oliver
News Editor
My parents went to great lengths to make me and my brother believe in Santa Claus growing up. Christmas has always been a big deal in the Oliver home, with all of the church functions, family outings and of course the unwrapping of gifts. Here’s a how to on keeping the spirit of Christmas alive for any young ones in your family.
Step one: Invest in a Santa suit.
My brother Eric and I are only a year apart so we both started to not believe in jolly old St. Nick around the same time. But for the sake of tradition our parents did their best to keep our belief in the guy alive. My dad, being a little on the jolly side himself, has a Santa suit for holiday parties. To this day he is still being called up throughout December to see if he can fit in some time at so and so’s Christmas party to portray Santa. I’ve got to admit, he is very convincing. After all Eric and I believed him every time we tried to sneak down and peek into the living room to see if Santa was leaving us presents. Every year, there he was, Santa (my father) stuffing our stockings and leaving piles of presents under the tree and every year Eric and I were convinced Santa was real.
Step two: Become a better hunter.
My parents started to get real clever when my dad started hunting more, and by hunting more I mean hunting and actually getting something. One year I remember my mom had us leave reindeer food, this weird oats and glitter combination, outside in the back yard. Because we didn’t have a chimney, my parents left the backdoor unlocked for Santa to get in. Clearly, he had to park the sleigh in the back yard.
Anyway, Eric and I were really excited because before we had just left carrots with our cookies for Santa, and the reindeer. This particular year, we were all about that reindeer food. We assumed it would give us even better presents than before. Mom let us stay up later and spread the food around the yard after the midnight Christmas Eve service at church.
On Christmas morning, we ran downstairs, saw what we already knew was there under the tree and ran outside to examine the back yard. Low and behold, there were deer tracks all over the yard and the food was gone. Looking back on it now, I can’t imagine what a sight it must have been to see my mom picking up all the pieces of food and my dad making all the tracks in the yard with his first successful hunting prize. But needless to say, we didn’t make the reindeer food anymore after that year.
Step three: Test out the gadgets before giving them as gifts.
I remember the Christmas when our family got our first computer. Although I think my dad was more excited about it than any of us, he made it seem exciting for Eric and me to actually open on Christmas morning.
Christmas that year, Eric and I were getting to the age of not believing in Santa and my dad threw out the last of his efforts in the fight to keep the belief alive. Christmas Eve night, he figured out how to set up the computer and type up a word document with graphics. It was quite the accomplishment back in the day to send my brother and me on a scavenger hunt (allegedly made by Santa) around the house to find our last present to open the computer.
Santa took us up and down the stairs, in the basement, outside and far into our large back yard. The scavenger hunt reminded us of things Santa had seen us do throughout the year that made him proud and finally led us back to the living room, where we originally started, to find the big box tucked in a corner, slightly hidden by one of the couches. There we found the computer, back in the box it came in, packed up like it was never used and ready for two eager children to play games.
Now of course all of these, and some that were omitted, are technically lies and all for the sole purpose of making the little ones in your life believe in Santa, which we all have grown up to finally realize is not true. But this Christmas, while you are persuading the younger generation to believe in Santa, instead of thinking of it as lying, think of it as bending the truth to keep the spirit, energy and hope of Christmas alive. Clearly, Santa is not the reason for Christmas but his spirit for the season is one that we should aspire to all year round. So go on, lie a little this Christmas, and let the spirit of the season live in you as well.