The thing I like most about Christmas isn’t presents, candy canes or turkey dinner (although, those are all pretty sweet things).
No, the thing I like most about Noel is that it is the only time of year when magic is commonplace, accepted and everywhere. Well, it is also the only time of year when people from all religions come together to embrace paganism (seriously, just try and find “spruce tree decorated with popcorn” in a religious text somewhere), but I’ll save that column for when I feel like being called names in angry emails.
But it is true. Even when you take away the supernatural, Messiah-birth aspect of the holiday – which, for Christians is about as amazingly magical and special as you could possibly get – there’s all this other stuff going on that makes Christmas a time of enchantment, especially if you have kids.
Chief amongst these things of course is Santa Claus, that jolly old elf. As children, most of us believed there was a big, fat, red-suited dude with a beard, living with elves and flying reindeer in the North Pole, who out of the goodness of his own immortal heart, gives toys for free to children around the world every year. And despite the fact that it takes an airplane with jet engines countless hours to cross just Canada, Santa does the trip around the world in record time, and he does it while popping down chimneys and delivering presents to everyone. Clearly, to a child, the airlines are totally inefficient in what they do.
Santa, aside from his magical mode of travel, also seems to be magical on the inside. How else can you explain that he can eat thousands of cookies and drink gallons of milk supplied glass-by-glass by giddy children everywhere on Christmas Eve... and he doesn’t explode in a shower of red felt, white fluff and chocolate chips? And flying reindeer? That’s just accepted, too. Sure, why not?
And this year, our family started the “Elf on a Shelf” tradition, where we have a little elf doll (named Christopher) who hides all over our house during the holidays, watching the kids and reporting their behaviour to Santa at night, before coming back and hiding again for the kids in the morning. I think it’s creepy, personally, that a doll watches you (did Stephen King come up with this tradition or what?). But the kids have no problem swallowing the idea that this doll comes to life and magically transports to the North Pole every night. For me, I’ve been having the greatest time coming up with places for Christopher the voyeur elf to hide and for funny things for the kids to catch him doing. The squeals of glee and laughter are priceless. He’s been caught inside boxes of candy canes, on the counter making snow angels out of icing sugar, and stealing cookies from the jar. Every day there has been a bit of magic permeating our household and it has been an unadulterated joy to see. And it’s important, too.
In the real world of fear and anxiety, news reports of terrorism, suffering and death, parents arguing over money and chores, it is certainly real bonafide magic when you can put that glow of enchantment in a child’s eyes.
So, my dear Squamish friends, that’s my wish for you this season. Whether you find it through the birth of a special babe in a manger, a bearded Samaritan in a red suit, friends, family or a creepy little elf, I hope you all find some true holiday magic this Christmas. Happy holidays!
