This week, Fletcher and I got bamboozled into visiting our local kindergartens and spreading the good will of the Christmas season by dressing up as Santa Claus and parading around like idiots (sadly, I don’t think we got any photos of this). Don’t get me wrong, it was fun and the teachers who organized the whole thing were great, but it became obvious to us both just how little they get this whole “Christmas” thing.
Last week, a teacher from one of the kindergartens came by to touch base with us and go over our Santa-schedule so we knew what was going to happen. She eventually pulled out two Santa costumes for us to try on to make sure they fit all right. Fletcher and I were a little confused since we were both going to the same school, so we asked, “So, which of us is going to be Santa?” Without missing a beat she replied, “Well, you both are, of course!” I’m pretty sure Fletch and I were devoid of any facial expressions at that point? She asked us if there was anything wrong. The only answer was the echo from my hand smacking my forehead.
In the end, it was actually quite a bit of fun, especially since I had never played Santa before. Seeing the kids faces light up when I came into the room was really something else. It also showed me that, while the adults may not ‘get it,’ Santa really is something that goes beyond countries and languages. I guess most people have already realized this, but it never really hit home for me until today that Santa is a man without a country; he’s a true citizen of the world. And something about that just puts a smile on my face. ^_^