Santa
Holiday Sightings #1
Perhaps one of the most prevalent and delightful sightings of the holiday season in the U.S. would have to be those of Santa in his red suit and white beard. Whether surrounded by awestruck or terrified children, Santa sightings usually make us smile.
Clement C. Moore’s timeless classic, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” captures our imagination with such striking phrases in his description:
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
His 1823 poem later became more widely known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Most homes contain a copy brought out as a sacred text for holiday readings.
And so we are indebted to Mr. Moore for his vivid depiction of the Santa most of us envision…the one who makes us smile when sighted during the holidays.
Worth Repeating
A smile is the shortest distance between two people.
-Unknown
