My son was preschool. Santa at Walmart. Going home: "that was just somebody dressed up in suit like big bird. did you see that he had cardboard painted black on top of his shoes and those were not real boots?"

santa
 

I met Santa, in a tiny department store, in the north of England. I had watched the shop staff building something behind large dark curtains. My mum would not tell me what it was, it was secret :) Then, about the second week of December Santa came to town, in a fabulous coach. It was really lovely. Then I was taken to see him. We were given lovely little gifts to put on the Christmas tree. I was 4 years old and still remember. It was lovely.
I took my boys to Harrods for their first Santa. Not as pleased as I thought they would be, hey ho. :coolsmiley:
BUT, Christmas is still their favourite time of year. We will have 12 or 14 for dinner, my sons friends always come to eat with us. A nice time had by all :)

I was about 3 or 4 years old and I was at home with my older brothers. They didn't appear to believe in Santa but they were telling me about him. They said he would come to put gifts under the Christmas tree. The way they were telling me made me feel somewhat skeptical.

All of a sudden there was a knocking at the back door. My mother opened the door and in came my father dressed in a santa suit. It was a nice suit and beard, very professional. So he sat down and put me on his lap. As he started talking to me I said, Dad! I know it's you! And everyone started laughing, including me.

Some department store in Brooklyn. I was terrified and have pictures to prove it.

The real Santa Claus was always found at The Store, located on Allentown Road outside of Lansdale, PA. I knew that he was the real one because he was old and his beard was genuine. And I never saw him around until the Christmas holidays were near. And I was around 7 years old so of course he was REAL!

I don't remember what store it was, but I do remember that Santa had bad breath!

That's funny. He should have been fired for that. Who ever heard of a store Santa having bad breath? He should have been reported to the manager.;)

I actually never "met Santa", but I know what ever I put in my letters to him always wound up under the tree....the tree by the way was not there when we went to bed Christmas Eve....but there it was magically the next morning with our gifts.

I always told my mother I would rather write to the real Santa instead of going to see one of his helpers at the Boston Store in Erie, PA.

We carried the tradition of no tree up until Santa did it Christmas eve through 5 of our own!!!!

btk

Redwitch, yes all thebyrs teaching French in school, i thought the Dec6 tradition is beautiful

I first met Santa in 1966, right after we had left Cuba and arrived in PR.
It was an inflatable Santa from the Esso gas station...all the previous yrs it had been the Three Wise Men who brought s gifts, not Santa.
When mom and dad exiled to Puerto Rico, then we had both, the American and Spanish traditions! ( gifts on dec 25 AND Jan 6)
Great times!

:1rotfl: Very funny stuff. :smiley: