Santa Delivers

Two Saturdays ago, on December 14, a man in red made his way up the steps of seven households across Burleith. Children ages two to eight welcomed him at the door, squealing with the same delight that their parents might feel at the sight of the UPS guy delivering their brand-new 65-inch 4K “family gift” TV.

Santa described the scene after he crossed their threshholds: Stockings hung by the chimneys with care (Two per child in one home!); amazement that he knew their names (How could I not!); concern about getting inside houses without chimneys (No chimney? No problem!); and his snack preferences (Mrs. Claus has me on a diet of skim milk and carrots, which I give to the reindeer.).

During the Christmas wish portion of the visit, gift requests were all over the map, from stuffed animals to live pets. Santa asked whether one youngster walked and cleaned up after the family’s best friend. The response was yes to walking, but no to clean-up, which was a parental duty! Despite the perfect opportunity for exacting a quid pro quo, Santa presented this year’s Christmas favor with no strings attached: a miniature Olaf, the popular snowman from Frozen.

In return, Santa received several items that were crafted or written by the youngsters. He was particularly impressed by the ecologically sound artwork of a large Christmas tree on a used pizza box.

Two hours later, his work done, Santa returned to his sleigh with the satisfaction that the good little girls and boys of Burleith would rest well that night.

Watch the reaction of ben martin’s three-year-old twins in his video.

Santa was enthusiastically greeted by Bentley & Barkley.

Sponsored by the Burleith Citizens Association, this free event was open to all Burleith families and a highlight of Santa’s mid-December preparations.