Yes, it’s that time of the month again here in the Mermaid lagoon: Guy Day!
I would like to welcome an incredibly unique and special guest to our site today. I caught him during the off-season and used all my magical princess mermaid powers to persuade him to answer a few questions for this special day.
Please sit back, relax, and enjoy your milk and cookies while you read this EXCLUSIVE interview with the one…the only…SANTA CLAUS.
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Alethea Mermaid: Santa, thank you so much for joining us today!
Santa: Ho ho ho! Anything for you, Princess. I’m a big fan of the Mermaids.
Alethea Mermaid: And we’re big fans of yours! So…let’s get down to business. First off: Be honest. After hundreds of years of delivering gifts on Christmas Eve all around the globe, aren’t you exhausted?
Santa: (chuckles): Of course! Exhausted, but never tired. It’s kind of like…well…like going on book tour. You coop yourself up in your house for months working like crazy. Then, for a short period of time, you get to dress up and go out into the world to enjoy the fruits of your labor and time with your fans. For an introvert like me, that’s exhausting work, but I would never stop doing it. How could anyone get tired of making little children happy?
Alethea Mermaid: Thank you, Santa! That makes perfect sense, actually. I’m still recovering from my own book tour this summer.
Santa: (pats Alethea on the head) Go slowly, my dear. You’ll get the hang of it. After hundreds of years, you’ll be an old pro, just like me.
Alethea Mermaid: But you also have a lovely wife to come home to that takes good care of you. Tell me, how did you meet?
Santa: We met on my travels, during one of my many sleigh rides, once upon a time ago. She was the best present Christmas present I ever received.
Alethea Mermaid: Does she like living at the North Pole?
Santa: Oh, we keep each other warm at night. (winks)
Alethea Mermaid: You’re a very lucky man. Many people are not so lucky. What do you recommend for lonely people around the holidays?
Santa: It’s hard to believe that on a planet full of so many people there could still be loneliness, but it does still creep up, especially around the holidays. I always recommend doing something nice for someone else: a friend, a family member, even a stranger. It is imperative that we put ourselves out into the world and work to make it a better place…even if it’s just this one time of the year. Every little bit helps.
Alethea Mermaid: I hate to bring this up, but there are some people out there who don’t believe in you.
Santa: (whispers) Some people don’t believe in mermaids either.
Alethea Mermaid: I know! Shocking. What would you say to these people?
Santa: Every man, woman, and child is entitled to their own belief. To the doubters I would say: You don’t have to believe in me–but you better believe in yourself!
Alethea Mermaid: Good answer! Now I have a few questions from some fans, if you don’t mind.
Santa: Fire away!
Alethea Mermaid: Kassidy asks: Boxers or briefs?
Santa: At the North Pole? Long johns!
Alethea Mermaid: Lee asks: Was Rudolph always your head Reindeer?
Santa: I’ve had many Reindeer over the years help me pull my sleigh. They take turns–don’t want to wear themselves out, you know! There are the ones you’re most familiar with: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph, of course. But there’s also Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless.
Alethea Mermaid: Staci asks: What is the threshold for when a person gets put onto the naughty list?
Santa: That threshold is different for every single person. The List doesn’t just take into account December, you know. It tallies up everything you do, every day of your life. The List is very magical and very busy and has a mind of its own. Even I don’t argue with The List. At the end of the day, I’m just a toymaker.
Alethea Mermaid: Ian asks: Which is your favourite Santa movie?
Santa: Hmm…it’s a toss up between The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and Miracle on 34th Street. The Natalie Wood one.
Alethea Mermaid: Janet says: Dear Santa, I love the long letters you leave us almost as much as the presents. Your handwriting looks surprisingly like my dad’s. Are you an engineer too?
Santa: Ho ho ho! But of course! I’m a toy engineer!
Alethea Mermaid: And our last question comes from Courtney, who writes only, “What were you and mommy doing?” I hope you know what this refers to.
Santa: Ah, yes. Do please let Courtney know that I’ll be sure to tell him. When he’s older.
Alethea Mermaid: And that’s all the time we have…thank you again, Santa for joining us here in the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon!
Santa: No! Wait!
Alethea Mermaid: Santa? Are you all right?
Santa: We haven’t answered the most important question of all.
Alethea Mermaid: We haven’t?
Santa: That’s right! The most important question is: What do YOU want for Christmas?
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Go on, folks, you can tell Santa. If you could have anything for Christmas, what would it be?
Happy holidays, everyone!
Many thanks to Carol Berning for the use of her gorgeous artwork. To see more of Carol’s work, just click on the pictures or visit www.carolberning.com
GREAT interview! I have lots on my list, but one item will be enough for this discussion: energy to finish my book(s), and the perfect publisher for the same. Oh, and inner strength to handle the fear. You know, the submission/rejection thing. Like that.
Thank you, Santa! (ps, peace on earth would be a great stocking stuffer, don’t you think? And maybe a Rolex).
Peace and happiness in stockings for everyone! xox
Love the interview, Santa! You and Alethea-mermaid seem to have quite the rapport. This was my favorite part: “You don’t have to believe in me, but you better believe in yourself!” That would make a pretty good present –belief in yourself. But I totally understand if you can’t wrap it up. Take care of yourself, Santa, and Mrs. Claus, too.
A question for you: what do YOU typically get for Christmas?
Santa tells me his gifts are especially crafted by Mrs. Claus and her own special team of elves. This year, he’s hoping to get a new hat, with LED running lights.
Great interview, Alethea-Mermaid and Santa! So happy to have Santa here with us in the lagoon.
I think you forgot about my favorite reindeer – Sparkles. I always had a soft spot for Sparkles.
Here’s what I want for Christmas: an affordable condo. What do you think, Santa? Doable?
Santa has assured me he’s looking into the condo situation, and that Sparkles will get an extra treat tonight as a special gift to you.
OMG! Santa Claus is in the lagoon and he’s FABULOUS! Santa, you’re not just the guy of Guy Day, you’re THE MAN!
For Christmas, I’d like for everyone to remember to “Be Here Now”
(and to find Dave Gahan under the tree ;))
Santa knows about you, Carlene. Your name is comstantly on top of The List, under NICE.
You Mermaids are amazing. However did you convince Santa to pause for an interview in the lagoon at such a busy time of the year?
My wish for this Christmas is to find some Christmas spirit. It’s warm here in TX and I’m feeling very bah-humbuggy from the lack of holiday chill in the air, and from missing my friends in the DC area.
Willa, I was especially sure to schedule our interview before his schedule piled up with Mall appearances. I had to go through seven elves and their supervisors to get to the Jolly Man himself!
Santa has sprinkled some fairy dust on a breeze gusting through the Laughing Valley of Ho Ha Ho. Look for it to arrive in TX very soon. You’ll know when it gets there. You won’t be able to stop smiling. 🙂
Thanks, Mermaid Princess Alethea! I’ll look forward to its arrival!
And I’d like to thank Santa for sitting for me so that I could paint his portrait. Isn’t it amazing how much different he looks in different poses with different lighting–especially when he’s snoozing at the end of a long day of toy-making!
Hi Carol! My favorite is Santa Snoozing. His curls really do look soft and fluffy. 🙂 You do beautiful work.
Carol is a bundle of magic herself. You mermaids would LOVE her! I think her work is almost as marvelous as she is. xox
Your artwork is amazing! Thank you for letting Alethea share it with us here in the lagoon!
What do I want for Christmas? The biggest and best gift of all: world peace.
Thanks for your time Santa and about the pony I asked for thirty years ago, you can let it go. I’ll settle for a sports car. Make and color your choice.
Santa says he has an entire paddock of ponies just for little girls who ask for them, but they’re tough to fit in his sleigh and tough to take care of is you don’t have fairies around to mind them. Sports cars are also a little unwieldy.
I suspect Santa’s sleigh is a TARDIS.
Santa and Alethea! Wonderful interview!
I can truly say that the lyrics to “My Grown Up Christmas List” is all I want for Christmas. That’s such a great song!
And I don’t know if you remember when I sat upon your knee, Santa, but I sure do. The magic of Christmas still lives in my heart, and, as a mom now, I thank you for the Christmas magic all over again.
Give Mrs. Claus a big smoochie for me.
Thank you for a great interview Santa and Alethea! This is a wonderful time of year. I truly enjoy all of the lights, decorations, songs and magic of the Christmas season.
If I could have anything for Christmas I would want health and happiness for everyone around me. 🙂