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After Christmas, I occasionally get left holding the bag. I’m not sure how that is possible. I try to be a one-more-last-chance Santa but admit that some wants are greater than an individual’s needs. That said, there are a few dissatisfied clients out there.

You can’t believe how often someone flags down my little, red truck to voice a variation of “Why didn’t I get a pony, a bicycle, or a Gila Monster when I was ten?” Tears are rare, but the glares indicate that customer satisfaction was limited when the presents were opened. As the Man in Red, I realize that the buck stops in my stable. Don’t wear the heavy suit if you can’t take the heat.

Right now I’m recovering from the recent holiday season but am preparing for the next one too. I’m still checking my list. The suits are at the cleaners. The little red truck needs some attention. And, I am trying not to shake bells and ho-ho-ho wherever I go.

My cohorts are also ready for a long winter’s nap and some relaxation. Some are genuine Santa Clauses and St. Nicks and Kris Kringles. Are they real? They were when they woke up this morning. Others proudly wear the Spirit of Christmas as if they were born to model yak-hair beards and white gloves. Then there are the Santa performers on every street corner.

Overall, 2025 was a rewarding experience filled with hugs and wishes and a few mistletoe kisses. Doll houses and remote-control cars were priorities. Requests for Labubu dolls and Jellycats caught my staff off guard, but Barbie and Gabby and Elsa did not. Hot wheels, Monster Trucks, and dinosaurs ruled. Marbles and candy seemed enough for some, but books and Slime and Legos were more popular than ever. And, as usual, the greatest gifts did not need wrapped.

A few pleas required parental consent. Mrs. Claus called guardians about iPhone 17’s and dogs and cats. Santa’s sleigh ride was too cold for the animals, and not all moms and dads thought elementary children should have a phone. Teamwork helped with the difficult decisions.

Households visited for camera opportunities just as my siblings and I did years ago.* If the Big Guy is authentic, he has to be photogenic. More than one family traveled two hours or more to get a picture with the same white beard as the year before. Others arrived from San Francisco, DC, Ukraine, and Asia to find Santa Claus in town.

The most-asked questions included:
* Favorite reindeers? Rudolf on foggy nights but generally Donder/Donner (thunder) and Blitzen (lightning). Obviously I have a need for speed, and those boys can handle it.

* Number of elves? 4,552 not counting those prankish elves-on-shelves

* Favorite Christmas movie or cartoon? The Santa documentary, Miracle on 34th Street, captures Christmas for me, but The Grinch eventually makes me laugh.

* Favorite cookie? A snickerdoodle is my cookie of choice but not a must. When I bite into it, the cinnamon falls on my beard and then glows in the moonlight. Mrs. Claus thinks I am so cute when that happens.

* How do you get in if there is no chimney? Regardless of the age, a child’s love of Christmas lets me in.

* Are you the real one? I’m as real as you let me be.

Unsurprisingly, conversations and emotions and encounters brighten the season the most. Santa may fill stockings, but his guests fill his heart.

* A grandmother (92) had only one wish. She wanted to visit again next year for another picture with her great-grandsons.

* Santa may not be a baby whisperer, but this year the crying and diaper disasters were limited. Eye-to-eye contact with the little ones was as magical as ever.

* When asked what color he wanted his tractor to be, a four-year-old responded, “John Deere.” Crayola may have to put that on a green wrapper.

* So many children asked for gifts for others. Can you help Mom? My friend needs more than I do. Peace on earth is all I want.

* My father is dying. Could you visit? Can you bring back my grandma? - Either Santa School forgot to discuss the tough interrogatives, or I didn’t hear what I didn’t want to hear.

* A nun sat on my lap and shouted, “Scandalous,” to her sisters. Apparently humor was a habit.

* Both the kindness shared by the NICU nurses and the presence of one-pound babies touched my soul.

* A deaf women asked what cookie I liked best. Before the interpreter verbalized her question, I signed, “Sugar cookie.” She cried in delight that I understood, but I felt guilty that I was not more knowledgeable. I did not know how to sign snickerdoodle. We exchanged thank-you gestures before she left.

Day after day I remind myself and my guests that Santa is just a simple toymaker. There are gifts he cannot give and requests that only need to be heard, not acted upon. With a gentle smile, a listening ear, and a loving heart, an old man with a bag full of joy and a candy cane or two can open the doors of hope and imagination.

Am I ready for next year? Not quite yet, but that plan is definitely in the bag.

*The picture shows Jim Yellig, the most famous Santa Claus in the world, with the Perkinson kids. I am in the front row and on the right.