Every year I dress as Father Christmas and visit the children’s Christmas Party at a local nursery school. Usually I hand out presents to the children who are dressed in their Christmas finery, the boys in Superman suits, Spiderman suits, in Father Christmas or Rudolph Jumpers and in one or two cases dinosaur suits. The girls mostly wear princess and party frocks or dresses with Rudolph or Santa on the front, without exception; boys and girls, all wear enormous smiles. After I have given out the presents and before my accompanying elf leads me to the next classrooms the children sing me a song or two, usually “When Santa got stuck up the Chimney” or “Jingle Bells.” I love it and so do the children.
This year has been a little different, I changed into my Father Christmas outfit at my daughter’s and she drove me to the school, I did get some excited attention from grown up ladies waiting on the kerb for us to pass.
I went around the school waving to the children through the classroom windows, ho hoing and shouting Merry Christmas as loud as I could. The boys and girls were wearing their Christmas finery and enormous smiles as usual but although I was sung to and the children enjoyed themselves it wasn’t the same, for either them or me.
Father Christmas would be my second career choice after multi billionaire playboy, to be able to give happiness is probably the greatest gift we have. Even if I can only manage it for a few hours a year I gratefully grab the opportunity.
I hope things will be back to normal next year.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
