An Exclusive Interview with Santa Claus

Enable frames

An Exclusive Interview with

SANTA CLAUS

By Robert E. Martin

Given the fact that Christmas time is easily one of the busiest and most

hectic times of the year, the Review is especially pleased that we were

able to obtain this interview with one of the most well-known, beloved, and

easily identified figures in the world - the 'jolly gentleman' himself,

Santa Claus.

More popular than any rock star, more significant than most politicians,

and with a legacy that has brought joy to the hearts of millions of

children, we recently spoke with Don Cramer (the alias Santa goes by in the

'everyday' world) in a phone interview from the North Pole in his first

ever interview with The Review about the questions & concerns on the minds

of children of all ages this holiday season.

We hope you enjoy!

Review: So Santa, how's the weather in the North Pole?

Santa: Kinda cool. Hardly any wind. It's very nice.

Review: Can you tell us how people get on the 'Nice List'?

Santa: Well, there's no such thing as a 'bad' kid. They're just not always as good as they should be. How they get on the list is by being themselves and trying to do something that people remember them by in a positive fashion.

I have fond memories of my sons with their actions they take when around people. Everybody can't be good all the time, even me. Of course I've got more people watching me than I watch - I'm only one person. But I've always said that if you smile you feel better. You can't smile and feel bad at the same time.

Review:  Why doesn't Mrs. Claus go along for the ride?

Santa: Truthfully, she's the 'brains' behind the whole operation. And when

I'm gone, she's back home taking care of the meals for the next day. That's

when we celebrate. She'd rather do that. She's a good cook.

Review: Do you have a favorite reindeer or elf?

Santa: Rudolph has to be my favorite. He's the one that brought us through

that real bad storm many years ago.

Review: What's the most commonly asked for present?

Santa: Overall, I would say the most asked for present is Barbie dolls for

girls. Since the day it came out until now, its something kids always ask

for. Unlike Cabbage Patch, Barbie is perpetual.

Review: How do you manage to get down the chimney?

Santa:  I have a little magic dust and it kind of shrinks me up. Gets a

little tight sometimes though.

Review: What do you do with your free time, if you have any?

Santa:  We just enjoy making toys and traveling around the world, checking

out everybody all year long. People never know when they're gonna see me. I

look like this all year long. It isn't an artificial beard or anything.

Whenever I go into stores or restaurants, I get kids and adults coming up

to me.  I went into Grampa Tony's the other day up in Bay City and this

lady in her 30s got so excited when she saw me, I thought she was turning

back into a little kid.

Review: How do you make so many toys for everyone?

Santa: We start January 1st and go right back into production again for the

next year.

Review: How come reindeer fly?

Santa: That's another thing I use my magic dust for.  Plus, the reindeer

start practicing jumping very high fences and walls when they are very

young. Sometimes if I know it's a bad night, I'll also have a little magic

dust I put into their food.

Review: Will Santa be okay flying this year? Many children are concerned

whether the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks have affected Santa's team at

all.

Santa: Santa will be fine this year. I'll tell you what, when you're in the

position that I am, you get used to dodging missiles and all kinds of

things in the sky, flying around the world like I do.

We're a blip on the screen to some of these warring countries, and you

never know what's going to happen, but we handle that pretty well.

Review: How do you get the job done in one night?

Santa: Have you ever watched Bewitched on TV? Samantha wiggles her nose and

everyone stops moving, and when she's finished doing whatever she is doing,

she wiggles her nose again and everybody comes back to normal. That's how I

do it. It would be almost impossible otherwise.

Review: Do you think Christmas is going to be different this year and what

does Santa want everybody to do?

Santa: I think people are in a little different mood this Christmas and

there is more emphasis on religion and praying.

I think the focus will be on showing a better attitude towards one another.

Many years once Christmas is over, the notion of being good is over.  Kids

think they can go back to their old ways. But I think there is more charity

this year. People are donating more time and money after the disaster, and

I think we will see more people recognizing other people, rather than just

walking by and not saying hello.

Review: Are there any other comments or things you'd like to touch upon

that I might have forgot to mention?

Santa: I'm going to be in your area on December 8th and 9th and the 15th

and 16th up at Zehnder's in Frankenmuth.  I look forward to it every year.

By the time Christmas is over, I'm pretty well beat; but around February, I

start thinking about the next year already.

Review: Yeah, I bet it's truly a full time job

Santa: It's not a job. A job is something you don't usually enjoy doing,

but this is fun - especially seeing all the smiles on all the faces.

This is especially true for little girls. They have a way of saying the

oddest things. Once a little girl was walking near a stable and she came up

to me and asked if I was the 'real Santa'. I told her yes and her eyes lit

up and she said, 'I knew it! I love you so much Santa!"

And I think from the day they are born they know how to get to a guy!

Enable frames