Over the past two months I have been writing a Christmas story. It is about Santa Claus and the remarkable sequence of events that befell a young girl living on the edge of the rainforest in Palawan, a tropical island where I live.

Of course, for such an apparently far fetched story, it was important to check out the facts. That was easy to do here in Palawan, but how could I interview somebody quite so famous as Santa Claus, who lived far away in a land where I would freeze to death as soon as I got off the airplane?

Well, it turned out to be more easy than I thought, and we met, believe it or not, close to a big firework display in Southern England on November 5th 2005. How I got there and how he got there, I am not allowed to say. In fact, I cannot say, simply because I do not know for sure. I can only speculate. My passport shows I was here; my wife tells me I was here; I tell myself I was here. But I was there, and this is what I can report from the notes I took at the interview. There was much more, but I am sworn to secrecy, and Santa Claus has such amazing powers, I would not go against his wishes.

These are the 3 questions, and answers, I am allowed to reveal.

Q1 There is much speculation amongst historians about your origins. Can you tell us, to put this straight once and for all?

(Roars of laughter from Santa) “The last people you should ask are historians. They can only look backwards. What a dumb life they lead; they can never find the truth like that. Life is multi dimensional; time is multi dimensional. What do historians and scientists know about all that? The truth is like a sun with all it’s planets rotating round. If you just look backwards, you miss the whole spectrum, and you miss the sun itself.

“What are my origins? My good man, you’re just a simple soul, like everyone else on the planet, so I know you mean ‘when and where do I come from’. I do have a birthday; in fact, I have many birthdays, and they are all true. But for your narrow little world, I was born in 701 AD.”

“But,” I said, “all the historians…….” his glare told me to be quiet about historians. That seemed like a good idea, given that they got it all totally wrong.

Santa was a tolerant and gentle man despite his massive powers. “And, young man” ( I had not been called that for a long time) he said. “You will not believe where I was born. It was not the North Pole, though I go there often. It was not Lapland, where I do now live. It was Central Africa.”

I was dumbfounded; he just laughed at me. I moved on quickly.

Q2 I have to ask, Santa, how do you get around the whole world like that, every Christmas, delivering gifts to so many millions of children? In less than 2 days. It’s just not..”

Before I could finish, he had put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me.

“Of course it’s possible. You think it’s not possible because your “scientists” say so, not because of the truth. Only the truth matters. And it is possible, because I do it every year. You say “not possible” because of the way you all look at things; narrow and blinkered. Even my blinkered reindeer know more than your silly scientists; so forget it’s not possible. I do it, and young man”, (I was really beginning to like this guy), he went on, “I just love every moment of it.”

“But……?” I was about to ask, but he stopped me again with a firm hand.

“Ok,” he said gently. “Let me just tell you about something. In the 8th century I was exploring brainwaves; your scientists don’t have an inkling yet about the brain, how it works, the brainwaves and what they mean and how you can use them. I was able to discover great things, things all the scientists have been too narrow minded in the past to seek out, understand and utilize.”

I was in his spell, listening intently to every word. He was about to reveal….

“Have you heard of Quantum Chimney Descent Theory? No, of course not. By 820 AD I had it all worked out; a year later I had discovered Time Corridors. You know time corridors? No, of course not, but I tell you young man, that was what did it, that was what enabled me to deliver gifts at Christmas all over the world.

“I then developed the Time Corridor Interweaving Theory. For the next 30 years I started to put them both into practice, and then bring them together. That my dear friend is how I get around the whole world like that and deliver gifts: by exploiting the Quantum Chimney Descent Theory in unison with Time Corridor Interweaving.

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

Well, who was I to argue, I might sound like a historian or scientist? So, that was it, I had the answers to the greatest Santa Claus question of all. I did not have a clue what he was talking about, but I am sure he anticipated that.

We went on to the final question as the firework display reached its climax.

Q3 What happens to all the mince pies and glasses of sherry that millions of children leave out for you?

Santa roared with laughter again, “oh, all the things people leave out for me; they are so sweet those children.
“But you know, their parents should tell them the truth; they should not deceive. It is their parents who drink the sherry and other alcoholic drinks. It’s just their excuse. I don’t drink the stuff, never did.

“But the mince pies, yes I do love a good mince pie. The children are so considerate leaving them for me, and I eat as many as I can in Australia. But over a million? I have to tell you, those mince pies get spread around all sorts of places. The creatures of the oceans and the forests are very much experts on mince pies now. But the year before last…..”

Santa saw my expression change.

“Aaah, we can’t say what happened that year, can we? It’s in your story. We mustn’t spoil your story.”

A moment later I awoke in my bed many thousands of miles away near the Sulu Sea. My wife was next to me; and funnily enough, I was next to her. When I went to my computer room a while later, I found my notebook. And what you have read above is what was written in it.

I really did like Santa Claus; “young man” indeed.

This Christmas Santa Claus article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

Roy is also owner and author of the Xmas Ornament web site.

Relax for the festive season with Roy’s new Christmas story for adults and children.

The magic of Santa is still alive in our home … Santa has done such a great job reinforcing his presence all these years, it’s no wonder.

I know this will most likely be one of the last years, if not the last year, my younger daughter still believes that Santa is a jolly old fellow with a bushy beard who somehow gets his big ol’ self down the chimney each year without fail. And flying reindeer? Oh man … my heart aches thinking this tradition will be short-lived in our home, although the spirit of Santa will continue to fill the stockings and leave special presents for as long as I’m around.

When my children were little, I actually had reservations about starting the Santa fantasy … wondering if “lying” to my babies, who I swore I would always be honest with, would come back to haunt me. Somehow, this isn’t the same as outright lying. It’s creating holiday magic and reveling in the joy that fantasy brings to children. Santa is hope and love, Santa is joy and Santa is a big part of what makes Christmas special.

On the page of my Christmas site “Is Santa Real?”, the author explains that Santa is, in fact, very real and encouraging our children to love and look forward to Santa’s yearly visit is perfectly OK because what we are actually teaching them is the art of giving and that acts of kindness, good will and compassion are valuable characteristics to uphold and honor throughout their lives.

Parents will eventually have to come clean and acknowledge that there really isn’t a big ol’ jolly guy scraping himself raw by dragging presents in a sack down chimneys every year. When the time comes, try to remember what Santa Claus represents and let your child know that his spirit will continue every Christmas, no matter how old they become.

Allow kids the innocence of believing in Santa for as long as they will. And while they still believe, make Santa as magical and outrageously fantastical as you can. After all, the spirit of Santa is what parenting is all about.

Is Santa Real?

Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

When I started writing this column in Fall of 1998, the idea of doing all your holiday shopping online rated quite daring and trendy.

Fast-forward to today and online shopping represents a very sizeable share of all retail commerce.

In fact, just like the “Black Friday” after Thanksgiving gets many retail stores “into the black” financially, they’ve coined a name for one of the biggest shopping days online: “Black Monday!”

Black Monday or “Cyber Monday” refers to the Monday after Thanksgiving when everyone goes back to work and does all their shopping online (presumably on their break — yeah right!)

Either they couldn’t find what they wanted in a brick-and- mortar store over the weekend or, like me, couldn’t stand the thought of standing in line for hours, so they shop online.

Since their workplace often carries the fastest Internet connection, many people find playing “Cyber Santa” at work too tempting to resist.

Despite a “sluggish economy,” this past Black Monday should turn out to be the biggest on record, though the actual results may not get tallied for weeks.

However, if you plan to play “Cyber Santa” this year by making holiday purchases online, the following tips should help the little online elves make all your dreams come true.

** Don’t Procrastinate **

Don’t wait until the last minute to place your orders online. Internet companies function just like mail-order companies.

Human beings process your order, pull it out of inventory, pack it, and ship it to your address.

If a backup occurs, no amount of e-mailing or phone calls will cause your packages to arrive any faster.

** Delivery Guarantees **

Find out what guarantees (in writing) the company makes regarding delivery.

If they don’t guarantee delivery for 2 weeks and you waited until December 19 to order, it doesn’t take a computer science degree to know your order won’t arrive in time.

** Return Policies **

Along with delivery guarantees, check the return policy. What happens if something goes wrong with the product?

Where and how do you return it?

Also, understand that if you buy something through an auction site like eBay, you run the risk of defective merchandise with no hope for an exchange.

** Brick and Mortar **

Try to deal with companies that offer a “brick and mortar” operation to augment their online presence.

This comes in handy if you received a defective product, or the wrong product, and need a quick fix by visiting the store at the last minute to avoid tears on Christmas morning.

** Disaster Planning **

Ordering early means you can make a quick recovery if something goes wrong by going to the mall and buying something else!

I bought 22 very cool gifts for out of town relatives and business associates yesterday with the click of a mouse!

I plan to do 100% of my shopping online this holiday season and avoid losing my holiday spirit by engaging in urban combat for a parking spot at the mall.

So remember, use common sense, buy from reputable merchants, and let your keyboard help you create a memorable holiday season.

Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and co-author of an amazing program that teaches you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs… without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

Yet, it’s well documented. Santa’s has been doing their “thing”, delighting boys and girls, yes, even adults, for thousand of years. Even before Christ in Scandinavia. There, “Santa’s” forefather was a Viking God named Odin who in winter on his eight footed horse, Sleipnir, rode throughout the world giving out gifts or punishments. In the pagan world; during the same period the Germans looked forward tot he gentle German goddess Hertha coming down with her gifts of good fortune and health.

As Christianity spread, the season brought into being one known as Saint Nicholas, who was born in the Middle East about 350 miles northwest of Bethlehem in the fourth century. . Writings tell of fact that he was very humble (as well as being very shy), and of his love for children, his kindness and the miracles he brought about.

Perhaps the most famous story of all tells how he helped three unfortunate young sisters who all had suitors but had no dowries because their father, a poor nobleman, could not raise the money. Now the bishop Nicholas was a shy man and did not like to give money directly, so he thought of a way to give it anonymously. When the first daughter was ready to marry, the good bishop tossed a bag of gold into the house at night. Later, when the second daughter prepared to marry, she too received a mysterious bag of gold. When the third daughter prepared to marry, the poor nobleman was determined to find out who had been so generous. So he kept watch and saw the bishop drop another bag of gold into the house. It has been said that Saint Nicholas climbed on the roof and dropped the third bag of gold down the chimney where it landed in a stocking hung to dry, giving us a reason to hang up Christmas stockings today. When the father saw what had happened,

Being known for his kindness and generosity, he became the patron saint of judges, murderers, pawnbrokers, thieves, merchants, paupers, scholars, sailors, bakers, travelers, maidens and poor children. He is the national saint of Russia and Greece and there are churches named after him number in the thousands – more than 400 in Great Britain alone.

When the Dutch immigrated to America they took their beloved saint with them.
As the 17th century Dutch New Amsterdam was becoming 18th century English New York; with their arrival, the Dutch Sinterklaas did become forerunner for Santa Claus in the United States. Where he was given helpers; Parents, seized the opportunity to coerce good behavior, played up this helper of Santa’s.

With this kind of history and the “good” credited to this Jolly fat man in the red suit and his helpers each season, certainly one must conclude there is a Santa. Even if is it only in the spirit of Love, good will, peace and cheer we experience each Christmas season.

I have been writing for pleasure off and on at different free sites for several years. It gives me a feeling of self satisfaction when I receive comments from the readers. Especially those that say they were entertained or had learned something new. So, I look forward to hearing from you

I’ve a confession to make. I used to be Santa Claus. Not the real Santa, of course, but one of the Shopping Mall Santas who help out the Big Guy in Red, filling in for him in department stores and malls around the country talking to children and having their pictures taken with them. A great part time job that lasts only one month a year, from the day after Thanksgiving up to Christmas Eve.

How did I get into this gig? By answering a help wanted ad in the local newspaper that said, simply, “Now Hiring Santas. Training Provided.” And a number. I had no idea until that day that temporary employment agencies provided Santas for stores, but as a child I’d sat on the big elf’s lap, told him my holiday desires, and truly believed that he would provide the GI Joe, the Schwinn bicycle, and the Daisy BB gun that I asked for. The chance to learn the secrets of Santa magic, spread delight to children, and get paid at the same time seemed too good to pass up.

Santa School, it turned out, was an all day event, and a serious endeavor. The company showed a video tape of successful Santas talking to kids, showed us all how to put on our costumes, apply a pillow for the proper padding, adjust the wig and beard, and how to add a touch of white make-up to eyebrows and any exposed natural facial hair. And more importantly, we learned the “do’s” and “don’ts” of the Santa trade. Do remind the child to be good, to do well in school, and to smile for the camera, as well as calling the child by name. Don’t promise specific gifts (unless prompted by a nod from the adult accompanying the child), don’t refer to the child’s “parents” or “mom and dad” since many children are in single parent homes, or are raised by other relatives -instead Santa would always refer to “your folks” – and (this is a big one) don’t “Ho Ho Ho.” Loud Ho Ho Ho’s tend to scare some kids, especially the younger ones who are a little apprehensive of Santa to start with. Santa should be jovial and friendly, but not scary, so the Ho Ho Ho’s had to go.

What I received from this experience, in addition to the promised paycheck, was a feeling of having brought joy and wonder into the lives of several small children. Add to that a couple of damp pairs of red Santa pants when youngsters became “overly excited” and had not visited the rest room prior to their Santa visit, and amusement when a few “grown up kids” decided to have their pictures taken with Santa, and the experience was definitely worth doing. The most interesting “person” to sit on Santa’s lap was a young woman’s pet ferret. The ferret was friendly and enjoyed her visit-especially the chance to crawl through Santa’s beard. Her owner said the picture of Santa with Wendy the Ferret in his beard would grace her Christmas cards that year. It was a great, fun experience. So if you like kids, have a large lap, and can find the work, being a Shopping Mall Santa is a part-time job you can’t beat.

Paul Buckley has published a website packed full of fascinating and useful articles, stories and ideas certain to make this you best holiday season yet. Happy Holidays

Christmas is the time of year when we like to spend our time with our children, friends and family. At least, that is how the story goes, and for the most part it is pretty true. We forget last year’s tribulations, the traffic jams and crowded stores. We fill our cars with ever-precious gasoline and our spirits with holiday cheer, and then we head off to the mall. We do a little shopping, trying to avoid the crazies who in increasing frequency are ready to do physical battle over the fad gift of the moment.

We stand in line for what seems like forever, juggling shopping bags and restive children, waiting our chance for a few minute conference with none other than the Big Guy from the North Pole, Santa Claus. There he sits on his gilded throne, amid all the blinking lights and Christmas décor. He is assisted by his helpers, who less often these days are midgets or dwarves, posing as elves. Midgets and dwarves allegedly scare the kiddies. The scene is fully nostalgic, resplendent with your own childhood memories. Your children are so anxious to sit and tell Santa what they want for Christmas, they can barely stand it. And here, amid the fake snow and the holiday festivities, it never occurs to you that Santa Claus may be a pervert.

That’s right. Despite all good intentions, your favorite mall may have mistakenly hired a child molester, whose recent residential address may have been the state penitentiary and not the North Pole. And you think you should be concerned about your child’s fear of midgets and dwarves. The truth is, that very lap where you place your child to declare his holiday wishes may actually belong to a pedophile.

To support this claim, CBS News recently had one of its staff impersonate a convicted felon and child molester. The staff member applied in five Los Angeles malls, under the name of the actual felon. The felon was a man who was registered along with 63,000 sickos on what is commonly known as “Meagan’s List.” He was hardly a well-kept secret. And yet all five shopping malls hired the man to be their Santa Claus. Later, when confronted with the issue, one man claimed to have run a free pre-employment background check that is generally good for nothing. The others mumbled lame excuses that, when translated logically, meant they probably had not run any kind of pre-employment background check.

In other malls throughout the country, those responsible do conduct pre-employment background checks, along with drug testing. The good news is, employers like Santa Plus, of Fallon, Missouri, which screens the 500 Santas it places in 250 malls, in 46 states, do conduct background checks. However, by some accounts, 70 out of every 1000 applicants for the Santa or Santa’s helper jobs have a felony record of some sort. That is approximately seven percent of those screened. They may also be applying to the malls and services that don’t do any background checking. They may be like the staff member of CBS, who, while posing as a child molester, got hired anyway. At five different malls. In the case of CBS, their guy was an imposter, helping to work a feature story. In the other cases, they are the real thing.

I know this is terrible. But if it ended there, we could almost be grateful. . Perhaps the larger question is, who are what are you having over for the holidays? Are you not doing the same thing as the shopping malls when you are thinking of dating someone without first checking him out? I know, your new Mr. Possible seems perfectly lovely on the Internet, and he is charming on the telephone. It is the holiday season. You feel lonely. It would be nice to share the holidays with someone who shows the potential for romance. But a confidence man, a criminal, or a pedophile, has had lots of practice at disarming his pray. Winning you over is what his life is all about. Getting to your wallet; getting to your children. They are good at it.

This is not to suggest you investigate old Uncle Fred, although it’s not always a bad idea. It is to suggest, however, that if you are a single woman, especially a single parent, and you are using the singles and online dating sites, you had best run an online dating background check on your potential paramours. Not only does an online singles background check help protect you from theft of goods, confidence scams, identity theft and your own risk of physical harm, but most importantly, it helps protect your children from the kind of strangers they should never meet.

Remember, Check Him Out Before You Date Him.

Gordon Basichis is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, the Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is also the author of The Constant Travellers, a sci-fi fantasy Western. The first chapter of Basichis’ new book Spook, a Roman A’Clef detailing Chinese Espionage in the United States, is featured in a forthcoming anthology, Sleeping with Snakes, Notes from the Los Angeles Underbelly.

A professional marketing executive, Basichis is also co-founder of Corra, which as the Corra Group specializes in pre-employment and online dating background checks, as well as corporate research and investigation.

Can you still remember being a kid during Christmas – the most exciting season holiday while waiting for the Christmas day to come? Like every other kid, have a letter well written and mailed to Santa, hoping for even a simple note reply from Santa himself.

I’m pretty sure parents that have added their child’s name to a list of bulk “Santa Letter” mailings are just most of the time unreliable, and every time parents have to make it up for their child by giving lots of excuses why Santa didn’t reply. This is somehow heartbreaking for the child.

To avoid being in that situation, why not write your own personalized Santa letter to your child? With today’s technology in computers and fast internet connection access, and provided that kids nowadays know more things in the internet world than their previous generation, parents could do this by just a few clicks away.

Send a Santa Claus Personalized Letter by email.

Below is a sample letter which I’ve created for you, you are allow to modify in anyway you want:

My Dearest (child’s name/friend),

With Lots Of Love.
Your friend,
Santa Claus

***Change the underlined value in the brackets to fit your own interest.

You can send this letter to your dearest friends too, just replace your child’s name with your friend’s name, and erase the mom and dad’s name details.

For your child to receive an email from Santa Claus is sure to provide a little early-season fun!

Edwin Lim is a freelance copywriter living in Malaysia. You can visit his Website at http://www.webblogerz.com