Will Santa come if there is no snow?
"Will Santa come even if there is no snow?”
My kids asked me that question this week and it reminded me of a time when I was smaller and had the same question running through my mind.
Would Santa come where the sand is red?
Where the coconut trees line the streets?
Where mosques and churches stand side by side?
As a child I loved Christmas but my Christmas was never shown in books or on TV.
My Christmas involved family gatherings, boat latterns, carols, garlands, midnight mass, pepper soup and so much more.
I would look up at the sky and wonder how Santa would deliver presents since I had no chimney.
Santa is victim of a single story.
Christmas even though celebrated a million ways by even more people is often portrayed one single way.
Traditions, cultures, religious norms, all melt together and evolve over time and it is important that children are able to see that, to feel a part of that even if the story had one single point of origin.
Books can play an important part in creating this sense of belonging.
Santa, fairies, elves, mermaids all capture the imagination and hearts of children everywhere and can be portrayed in a multitudes of ways, if only we as adults dare to believe in their magic.
Here are some books that we are reading about Christmas and how it is celebrated.
