The Shadow
NORTH POLE (VR) – With Christmas just around the corner, Santa Claus is gearing up for the busiest night of the year. With so many children being on his ‘Nice List’ this year, the North Pole was the site of not only several new additions to Santa’s workshop, but also some technology upgrades to keep up with the growing demand for toys.
“My new workshop is very different from the original one many years ago,” says Santa. “We used to make toys out of wood, sew baby dolls and build toy trucks. During the spring and summer, myself and the elves added three new wings to our facility. The west wing is home to some new, state-of-the-art 3D printers to help keep up with the demand for Legos and such. A lot of kids are asking for Legos this year,” he chuckled. “Our east wing is set up with high-tech equipment to build parts for bicycles, tricycles, wagons, skateboards and anything with wheels. For our third addition, we added a 2nd level to build trampolines and tents. Anything with fabric is now made upstairs.”
Even amid all of the new construction, Santa always makes time to enjoy letters from children. Although he admits that he often needs help reading them all, they are a constant reminder that the magic of Christmas lives on beyond the holiday. “I love getting letters and I often give some of my favorites to Mrs. Claus to file in a special box,” Santa admits. “Throughout the year, we sit by the fireplace, drink hot cocoa and read our favorites. This allows us to feel the magic and the love of Christmas all year long.”
When asked how many letters he receives each year, Santa tilted his head and rubbed his beard as if to try and come up with a number. As a big smile came across his rosy red cheeks, he replied, “Oh my goodness, I have never counted. Our mail carrier works really hard delivering all of the sacks full of letters and I try to read as many as possible, but I must admit that I do need Mrs. Claus and some of the elves to help me. Rest assured,” he said, “every letter is read and Santa works very hard to deliver all of the requests.”
With letters pouring in and so many children being added to the ‘nice list’ this year, Santa reminds the little ones that being good isn’t about being perfect. “There are a few things that Mrs. Claus, myself, and my helpers watch for,” Santa said. “Be nice to your family and friends, do your chores and show good manners. Mostly, just be kind and thoughtful. We also like to see kids, teens and adults participating in community events by volunteering or donating to charities,” he added. “Remember, it isn’t about being perfect, but it is about trying to be the best you can be every day.”
In addition to the letters that he receives, Santa also looks to his elves, who help to keep a special eye on children throughout the year. “Just the other day, I was talking to one of my elves, Owlcorn Cake, and she was telling me that a little girl named Ellie was really into science and wanted a live snake,” Santa said. “I do agree that snakes are interesting and sometimes make a good pet, but all we have here at the North Pole are snow snakes and they wouldn’t like the warm West Virginia weather, so Santa will get with his elves and put together something very special for Ellie,” he added. “Next, Owlcorn Cake reported that sister Lilly could really use a washer and dryer for her dolls and brother Lincoln was really into Spiderman, so I’ll talk with my elves and see what we can do for these good little children.”
When it comes to large items, Santa admits that he often needs the assistance of parents. “Santa is not really set up for large things like 4-wheelers and certain electronics, so I usually have to ask mom and dad to help out with those,” he said.
With Christmas Eve now just days away, Santa’s elves are busier than ever putting the finishing touches on all the gifts. Once the toys are made, they are sorted, wrapped and prepared for loading on the sleigh. “Our elves work very hard, and with so many children making it to the ‘nice list’ this year, we’ve added more helpers to our staff, including some younger ones that understand our new high-tech equipment better than some of our senior elves,” Santa confirmed.
In case you might be wondering, Santa’s reindeer are well-equipped for the extra weight from the large amount of toys being added to the sleigh this year. “My reindeer haven’t had to undergo any extra training,” Santa said. “You see – my reindeer can only fly one night a year and that’s on Christmas Eve. It’s the magic of the Christmas spirit that makes it possible for them to fly and pull the weight of my sleigh without much extra effort.”
Regardless of what obstacles they may face, Santa and his reindeer are ready for anything. When asked if he ever gets stuck in bad weather, he confidently replied, “There have been a few times that I thought we may have to postpone Christmas, but with the urging of Mrs. Claus reminding me that children are waking up Christmas morning to see what’s under the tree and all of the delicious cookies waiting for me, I summoned Rudolph to take the lead and with his bright red nose guiding us and a little extra magic, we were able to make it happen.”
While it doesn’t appear that the weather will be an issue for Santa this year in West Virginia, it always helps to plan ahead. Because he knows that so many children are counting on him on Christmas Eve, Santa recently revealed a secret exclusively for the readers of West Virginia Daily News. Children often wonder how he can make it to every house in one night, but Santa already has his route mapped out before he even leaves the North Pole. “Well you see, my reindeer can only fly on Christmas Eve, which means I’m not able to make an actual practice run to make sure I can get to every house in only one night,” Santa said. “But thanks to technology, I can do a virtual run with the help of one of my technical elves just to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
With each day, the spirit of Christmas will grow stronger and stronger until it reaches its peak on Christmas Eve. With that, Santa will take to the skies with his trusted team of reindeer leading the way. With each child who believes in him, Santa and his reindeer gain the strength they need to travel across the world in only one night. The magic-filled eyes that watch for a toy-filled sleigh on a crisp December night or the hopeful ears that listen for the sound of reindeer on the roof serve as a reminder that the spirit of Christmas will continue to grow with every child who truly believes.
