We’ve never done Santa over here. No burn on those who do, or don’t, or have super strong feelings one way or another. We just never introduced it, and the kids think its a fun story 🙂 Its kind of a non-issue over here.
In the search for easy, enjoyable festive things to do, we caught wind of a town event yesterday evening! They couldn’t really call it a parade, for fear of encouraging gathering *sigh* but the local fire department and police service planned to escort Santa through town. While none of our kids buy into Santa, it was still an excitement for them! So we headed out for a slow mosey to a street we knew would be on their route.
It was fun ❤️ There was a whole lineup of emergency vehicles, decked out in extra lights, all flashy and sparkly! Sirens blooped here and there, but nothing crazy enough to put off my noise-sensitive kidlets. Leading the way was Santa, sitting in the back of a truck, waving at every person looking out their window, every family sitting in their car, and those of us outside. They actually stopped near us and Santa called out to our kids, and they excitedly chatted with him. Santa asked them questions and laughed his jolly laugh at their answers. It was SUCH a fun experience for them! There were some other familiar faces in those vehicles that are very special to our family. It was a total homerun. Santa soon went on his way, and we headed home. And by living on the far side of town, I know for a fact that their trek took almost a full two hours. I feel a little emotional even typing it out, because while Santa isn’t a pivotal part of our Christmas, the amount of effort that went into this was immense.
Guys, last night was COLD. I have no doubt in my mind that Santa was absolutely frozen to the bone by the end of it. Probably at the halfway point, even. But the beautiful effort made by our community made my heart sing!
As an extra bonus, on the walk home, a man with a beautiful light display invited us to peek in the backyard and see a bit more of their setup, and just how the lights got SO high up in the sky! The kids also LOVED that. It felt like an added special bonus for them. For all of us.
We shivered on our way home, and gained a brown bag full of treats and activities for the holiday season at home ❤️ We are truly blessed. What a beautiful community we’re in.
I am SO grateful.