The Beloved Santa Suit

Every Christmas day my husband sneaks down to the basement during our extended family gathering to put on the beloved Santa Suit. Santa then "calls" me on the phone to let me know he will be making an appearance. As we gather the kids, my husband walks out the basement door into the backyard. You can’t miss a huge red Santa walking on a blanket of white snow waving and calling to the family. All the kids go nuts running from window to window following him around the back and the side and the front of the house to the front door. When he rings the bell they all scream with delight and scramble to open it for him. He always has his big red sack filled with one gift for each of the kids in one hand and a Corona in the other (he deserves it after working so hard the night before). He really does seem larger than life standing in that enormous red suit in the middle of the living room as he chats with each child in his Santa voice, gives them their gift and does his "ho-ho-ho’s". The photos capturing those moments with Santa are priceless. After all the gifts are given, and the Corona is empty, Santa starts to get hot and decides he must get back to the reindeer. Though the whole encounter only lasts a few minutes it is always the highlight of the day and reenacted by the children over and over again for weeks to come. Every Christmas day, right there in our living room, looking at all of the kids faces (and the adults too), you can’t help but feel, for a brief moment, the spirit of Christmas really is alive.

~ Kerry G., Verona, WI

Thomas Nast is credited with creating the popular image of Santa Claus we know today. His illustrations of Santa were published in Harper’s Weekly newspapers from 1863-1865.

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