Santa Claus (child safety and reindeer welfare)
It’s a sad state of modern times, that many parents no longer feel comfortable with children ‘sitting on Santa’s knee’, at the department store grotto (we also have few department stores left, as online shops have killed them off).
Some say that ‘child protection campaigners have ruined Christmas’ by thinking (unlike easygoing Dutch parents) that every strange person on earth is a possible paedophile. Which results in happier and more balanced children, who aren’t scared of their own shadows.
Of course, we must keep children protected, and DBS checks are presumably done on volunteer Santas these days. But most ‘Santas’, are the dads, who come down the chimney for a plate of vegan mince pies!
These days, ‘public Santa’ man sits away from children. And another adult (parent or staff) has to be present at all times. Some places now offer virtual visits instead, a bit sad, as children already spend enough time online.
Then of course there are those parents who simply ‘tell the truth’ and burst the bubble that Santa Claus does not really exist. Or does he?
The History of Santa Claus
Like most celebration saints (like St. Valentine), Santa Claus was based a real saint (Nicholas) who was known for his generosity (hence why he is associated with giving gifts). He is now almost 2000 years old!
In real life, he wore green, blue and purple robes (religious colours), who knows where the big red suit came from? His reindeer friends only appeared in an 1822 poem, and now are portrayed in poems and books.
There were originally eight deer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen) with Rudolph being added in 1939, for a department store booklet.
And in his spare time, Santa likes playing ice hockey with his elves!
Lapland is a vast Arctic region that covers Finland, Norway and Sweden, which has more wild reindeer than people. Santa Claus lives in Rovaniemi, where you can see the Northern Lights, 74 days of the Midnight Sun and uniquely eight seasons named by the Sámi people:
Frosty Winter, Crusty Snow, Ice melt and First Snow
Midnight Sun, Harvest, Autumn Colours and Polar Night!
This area is dark for so long during winter, that people have developed ‘reindeer vision’ to see in the dark. But due to lack of vitamin D, are prone sometimes to talking jibberish (sounds like some of our MPs!)
Finland also has the world’s cleanest air, and this is where you will also fine the oldest pine trees in Finland. That’s why red squirrels thrive (endangered here because people keep chopping down their natural homes – replanting them is far more effective and kinder than culling greys).
Please Don’t Visit Reindeer in Shopping Centres
Reindeer are non-native creatures, who don’t cope well with long trips to visit noisy children in brightly-lit shopping centres (they are also huge powerful creatures who could injure, if spooked).
Just leave them be to live wild in the cold Highlands, where they cope very well, surviving in lichen, grass, leaves and tree shoots.
Happily, many councils seem to now be on board by not allowing such events. If you know of any upcoming near you, raise the red flag, by sending a report to Born Free, who will politely contact the council and educate on why this is not a good idea.
