Not sure I ever met Santa. In Germany, we had St. Nicholas but he and Schwarzen Peter were never visible -- you left your shoe out in Dec. 6 and goodies (usually fruit, nuts, a wallet with a little money) or yuckies (coal and switches) were left in the shoe. On Christmas Eve, you went to services and when you got home, the Christmas tree was up and lit with one gift beneath it from the Krist Kind (Christ Child) thanking you for your year of devotion and love.
From Germany, it was Russia, the Middle East and the Far East, then the US. Santas were not too common in any of these places (nor was Christmas unless we were on base or in the embassy).
Do remember seeing store Santas in the US and not getting who or what they were but really was too old to buy into the Santa story by then. Absolutely refused to have my picture taken with this fat man in the ugly red suit.
I still miss our German way of celebrating Christmas.
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Army/embassy brat - traveled too much to mention
Moved here from SF Bay Area (East Bay)
"There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein
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