Keeping Traditions Alive

Being a parent brings an obligation to follow in your parents’ footsteps and keep alive the traditions handed down since time began.

One of these traditions revolves around Christmas, a time when children’s thoughts are focused on presents, egged on by the constant reminder from social media, the latest game, a Lego construction with a thousand pieces to keep the parents busy for days, to the annoyance of the child who wanted it built in minutes.

The central character in this gift giving is Santa Claus, one child at the Junior school suggested that Santa didn’t exist and that his mum & dad delivered the presents at night when he was tucked up in bed, this rumour spread like wildfire with eager children demanding the truth as confusion arose, when Betty said she met Santa at the Garden Centre, he also had his sleigh and real Reindeers, Jack said he saw him at the Pickled Newt charity concert downing a pint,  but after further questioning by the other children he admitted he had made it up.

“I know what to do”, said Peter a self-styled leader in the making, “we could pretend to be asleep and see who brings the presents.”

“Yeh, let’s do it”, shouted the children jumping up and down, just then Miss Smith entered the room.

“You seem to be excited about something, are you looking forward to Christmas?”

“Is Santa real”, asked Lucy, before Peter put his hand over her mouth to stop her saying any more.

“That’s enough of that behaviour Peter, say sorry to Lucy,”

“Won’t”, said Peter.

“Santa is real and if you are naughty like Peter, he might not visit you”, replied Miss Smith.

The children gasped at this statement and decided not to question Santa’s existence and to definitely be good, but Peter wanted answers!

Later that day Miss Smith questioned Lucy why Peter had put his hand on her mouth and what were the children excited about, Lucy could never keep a secret and told all, which Miss Smith passed onto Peters parents.

On Christmas eve Peters parents came up with a crafty plan as they expected him to spy on them from his bedroom which overlooked the door leading to the lounge where the Christmas tree was, where Santa left the presents,

They lived in a bungalow so the plan was for Mrs Plant too take the mince pie and carrot into the lounge in plain view of Peter who knew that this was for Santa and his Reindeer, once the food was placed by the tree, she would open the bay window for Mr Plant to pass the presents through, with the mission completed Mrs Plant left the lounge and closed the door.

Waiting to see if anyone would come back, Peter came up with an idea he had seen on a spy movie, he would stick a hair on the door to see if it had been disturbed the next morning.

Peter was the first to open the lounge door, the hair was still in place, and to his surprise the presents were stacked around the tree and the mince had gone except for some crumbs and the carrot was gone, yes Santa did exist!!

By John Broadhouse