January 5, 2006

Dear Ryan,

Well, the Christmas season is passed, and the seemingly endless flow of letters to the North Pole has finally stopped.  For the past two months, Santa has received hundreds of millions of Christmas lists, with children asking for anything from an X-Box 360 (American kids) to unrotten meat (Uganda). 

It is a great pleasure every year to bring so much joy to the hearts of children all over the world.  Even though it’s still 12 months away, Merry Christmas!  

Santa does get awful lonesome in January, though.  All the elves and magic snowmen go on leave to be with their families.  My head elf, Sprinkle-Toes, hasn’t been able to see his wife after a tragic reindeer trampling. 

And things are pretty slow now.  During the winter months we have night 22 hours a day at the North Pole.  There’s nothing merry about tundra blizzards on the least-inhabitable spot on Earth.  Now Santa mostly sits by the fire when it snows, and takes walks when it doesn’t. 

You know Ryan, there’s no law that says I can only leave the NP on Christmas Eve.  If anyone needed me to, I don’t know, go to a mall or a school assembly or whatever, I could do that.  Kids don’t just have to ask me for toys.  I can answer questions about delivering toys, or just hang out.  Maybe we can play that new X-Box I got you.  Whatever.   

I’m at the same address you use to ask me for things.

See You Soon,

Santa Claus