I don’t remember ever sending a letter to Santa. I do remember looking through the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs for toys. But we really didn’t expect to get any of those things we found.
Our children visited Santa a couple of times. About the time they started not believing in Santa, we had them “play” Santa to my sister and her husband. We bought small gifts, put them in a stocking, and on Christmas Eve, hung the stocking on the door of their apartment. We explained that Santa Claus was the spirit of giving. They loved this and still remember doing it.
Our children still hang stockings. Our married daughter and son-in-law have cross-stitched stockings that they fill for each other, in secret.
Our five grandchildren have handmade stitched stockings with appliqued snowmen. Some of them are still young enough to believe totally. Two of them are teenagers but they still want stocking stuff. Of course, one of them didn't go to sleep last Christmas Eve and didn't get her stocking filled.
I have a Santa Claus collection. Some were purchased in a set by mail; some were purchased in a set at a department store (Dillards). I have some little special ones that I was given. I have some large hand-carved Santas made by friends. (He carves them and she paints them.) I also still have 6 “international” Santas that I bought at Pic ‘n’ Sav, one of the predecessors to Big Lots. There is still the 59 cent price tag on them. I finally sold or gave away about 300
Santas because I ran out of room to display them and I wasn’t as attached to them as I am to those I kept.
Santas because I ran out of room to display them and I wasn’t as attached to them as I am to those I kept.
