Santa Claus was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule and answer a few questions from the Santa Rosa Press Gazette.
SRPG: How does Santa Rosa County compare to other parts of the world during your Christmas Eve trip?
Santa: I love coming to the Milton, Pace, Gulf Breeze, Jay, Navarre and the other surrounding communities. There is a lot of Christmas spirit here, not only in the community, but it is the people who make coming here so great. All the parades, events like Gallery Night, Big Screen on the Blackwater, and I could go on and on about how wonderful it is to visit Santa Rosa County. Another reason is the fact we (the county and me) share the same first name – SANTA!
SRPG: What is the most popular item children have requested this holiday season?
Santa: I have a lot of children asking me for laptops, note pads, iPhones 6’s, Xboxes, PlayStations, Wii’s, and a lot of electronic items. Despite that they are still asking for traditional gifts such as dolls, trucks, planes, race cars, doll houses, Barbies, and so much more.
SRPG: How have deliveries changed for you with increased demand for electronic items (video games, laptops, etc.)?
Santa: Well, with all the children in the world, we have had to modernize our operations as well as modernizing what the elves make at the North Pole.
I can remember when the elves worked very hard to make things like wooden cars, blocks, stick horses, tops, and so many unique gifts that even include the slinky. Now things have gotten so high tech that I am very thankful for the elves and their hard work in making sure all the toys and gifts are ready before Christmas Eve and loaded up on the sled before the Reindeer and I take off on our round the world journey.
SRPG: What is the most unique present a child has requested from you this year?
Santa: I was visiting some children in Milton at Big Screen on the Blackwater on Dec. 12 and a little girl came and sat on my knee and had just one Christmas wish. This cute little girl looked at me with big wide eyes and asked me to bring back her puppy who recently passed away.
I am sorry to say I couldn’t grant this little child her wish, no matter how hard I tried. There are just some things Santa cannot do, but I told her that Santa would look into finding her a new puppy that would enjoy having a loving owner like her.
I am going to do my best to help her find the right puppy for Christmas because I can tell she would make sure her puppy would have a home full of love and fun.
SRPG: What kind of preparation do you endure during the rest of the year in order deliver all of those presents in one night?
Santa: I have to double check my list of who is naughty and nice. I also eat a lot of Christmas goodies prepared by my lovely wife, Mrs. Claus, as well as get plenty of rest. I am fortunate that I have 24 hours to make this journey each year. But it does get a little harder each year as fewer and fewer people have chimneys on top of their homes so I have to make sure I have enough Santa magic dust in my bag to create a chimney for me to slide down with all of their presents.
I also have to work with my reindeer to make sure they are fed and well rested for the trip as well. We will spend several weeks practicing our takeoffs and landings on houses and things around the North Pole.
SRPG: How do you determine whether a child is placed on the naughty or nice list each year?
Santa: Kids are good at heart and they know right from wrong, but the problem is they don’t always choose to do the right thing. The big things that will get a child on the naughty list is using bad language, being disrespectful to their parents or other adults, hurting others or other things, and just making bad decisions. Another thing Santa hates is lying. That is a big no-no. When a child feels they have to lie about something they end up having to lie over and over again to cover up what they did wrong to begin with.
SRPG: How can children get off the naughty list?
Santa: The easiest way I can say that is by doing the right things. We all make mistakes and do bad things. Santa and the elves up at the North Pole are no different. But you do not have to compound a mistake with another or another. Being nice is a great feeling and it leads to doing nice things by paying it forward.
SRPG: Is there a snack you prefer children to leave out for you on Christmas Eve?
Santa: I love milk or hot chocolate and cookies especially chocolate chip cookies. There is something about chocolate chip cookies I just can’t get enough of, but Mrs. Claus knows how much I love them so she doesn’t bake them as often for me.
SRPG: What do you think is the true meaning of Christmas?
Santa: The true meaning of Christmas to me is the celebration of Christ’s birth and the spirit of giving as well. God sent his only Son, Jesus, to us here on Earth. God gave us a tremendous gift with Jesus. I think it is very important we keep the spirit of the holiday alive by giving and sharing this spirit with their fellow man. It hurts me that we have become so materialistic as a society, but that is the way of the world now as it exists. I hope that will change.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Q & A with Santa Claus