Keeping the Spirit of Christmas Alive

It’s no secret that the Magic of Santa is something we all carry into adulthood. All of us, young old, have joined this worldwide evolution of “Santa”. He reminds of all of the simplest joys of childhood, from running to the tree on Christmas morning, unwrapping presents and marveling at the Man in the Red suit who always gets it right! Santa has transcended all of the things in life that divide us, bringing us together one time a year in unity and happiness. People of all religions and cultures have some form of generously giving man who one time a years shows us the joy in life isn’t about getting — but giving.

I confess I was one of those inquisitive children that when I turned about 6 or 7, was very skeptical about this whole “Santa” thing. Some questions I pondered were, “How can one person travel the globe in one night?” How does he know where I always am?” (We would travel to my grandparents in another state, and he always managed to find me, after all!) Once, my brother and I speculated that “Santa” was indeed our parents because Santa’s handwriting was the same as my Dad’s! That last tip-off inspired me to create the Santa Tags below. Like me, others have created products and traditions to keep the Spirit of Santa Alive. We’ve given you just a few easy ways to keep the spirit of Santa alive for the children in your life this year.

Give Santa A Call: How many times do your children ask to see Santa in December? If they are anything like my niece, she wants to see him as much as she can during the holiday season! Instead of taking her weekly to check in with Santa, she can make a call to him and even leave her gift list as a message! Call 1 951-262-3062, your child will hear a message from Santa that is sure to light them up with excitement!

Video from the North Pole: These days, Santa is as mobile as the rest of us! Portable North Pole is a magical online platform that lets Santa connect with his millions of friends around the world! That’s right Santa has own Ap, where you create personalized video messages for your young believer. Find out the answers to your favorite questions, read Christmas stories from the elves, download or print Christmas drawings, and much more in Santa’s Village.

Holiday Portraits: This is time that all parents want to document, from the growth of their family to the memories of the Holiday. Friend and Photography Contributor Garrett Nudd of Cobblestone Rue Photography plans portrait sessions in collaborations with Chattanooga business neighbor, Sophie’s Shoppe with Santa Claus every year. A sweet and cozy vignette is designed, complete with milk and cookies. As you can see from the image above, having great images like this continue to keep Santa’s magic alive for years to come!

Santa Tags — From Santa’s Workshop: The impetus for these tags are purely from my childhood suspicions with my father and Santa Claus uncannily having the same handwriting as one another! I created these 50 unique Santa Tags straight from Santa’s Workshop! Phrases include, “You Made the Nice List!” and “You’re as Sweet as a Cookie!” These tags will keep the spirit of Santa alive and well. Tags can be found at Paper Couture Stationery and retail for $23.95.

Elegant Santa Letters: There is no more elegant way to keep your child’s faith in Santa than a custom letter hand written by calligrapher and artist, Sarah Hanna with Artful Correspondence. Each letter is personalized, with information only Santa would know, which builds the holiday excitement as well as ensuring you child stays on their best behavior! These refined letters retail for $20.00 and can be ordered through Sarah: info@sarahhanna.com

Elf on the Shelf: In the past few years Elf on a Shelf has become nearly as popular as the big guy himself! You may have seen him on various forms of social media reaping all kinds of havoc! For ideas on what your child’s elf can do to keep the excitement of the season growing, check out this great review by Apryl Duncan Stay-at-Home Moms Expert.

  • PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This cleverly rhymed children’s book explains the story of Santa’s scout elves, which are sent to be Santa’s eyes and ears at children’s homes around the world! When a family adopts a scout elf and gives it a name, the scout elf receives his or her Christmas magic and can fly to the North Pole each night to tell Santa Claus about all of the day's adventures—that’s how Santa knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice!