While in town for his famous parade, Santa Claus granted us an exclusive interview, and a reading of his favourite book ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Van Hansen: Why is it important for you to take time out of your busy schedule to be here for the Hamilton Santa Claus Parade?
Santa Claus: Well, I think it’s important that we give all the kids in Hamilton and the world around a good Christmas and the parade kicks off the season very nicely.
Van Hansen: Every year before Christmas you receive more than 1 million letters from the children. What is your mailing address?
Santa Claus: You can send all the letters for Santa to the North Pole, addressed to myself with, and make sure you pay attention to this–the postal code H0H 0H0, Canada.
Mercator’s 1595 map showing the North Pole
Van Hansen: Why did you choose the North Pole for your home and toy workshops?
Santa Claus: It’s central to everywhere in the world for toy delivery. And it keeps me away from the hustle and bustle of the city so we can concentrate on making sure we have everything ready for Christmastime.
Van Hansen: How many toys do the elves produce at your workshops?
Santa Claus: We make sure we have at least one gift for each child.
Van Hansen: What kind of cookies do you like?
Santa Claus: Ho ho ho, chocolate chip of course.
Van Hansen: And do you have a favourite reindeer?
Santa Claus: I do. Rudolph is my favourite, he’s our safety reindeer.
Van Hansen: Does Rudolph always fly with you, being the safety reindeer or only when it is really foggy?
Santa Claus: No he flies with us all the time, just in case of the change of weather we can’t afford to stop, we have to keep going!
Van Hansen: To deliver presents to boys and girls all around the world on Christmas Eve do you take advantage of the time zones, and how fast do your reindeer have to fly?
Santa Claus: We take advantage of the time zones for sure and we have some special help from NASA each year, and we use radar to help find our way. So when I have to give the reindeer a little snap of the reign, off they go.
Van Hansen: What do you like best about Christmas?
Santa Claus: I love the fact that I get to bring joy to every child’s home.
Van Hansen: After Christmas do you get a break, and where do you like to go on vacation?
Santa Claus: Ho ho ho, we do have a break. Mrs. Claus and I relax for a couple of weeks at the chalet, and then its right back at it building toys.
Van Hansen: Let’s wrap it up for today with one last question. What advice do you have for the children?
Santa Claus: Don’t forget to make your wish list. Get everything on there that you would like, and I will see what I can do. Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!
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Next Episode is The Olympian
Local Santa Claus Parades for 2018:
Oakville – November 17, at 9:00 am
Hamilton – November 17, at 4:30 pm
Brampton – November 17, 5:00 pm
Flamborough – November 24, at 6:30pm
Burlington – December 2, at 2:00 pm
Mississauga – December 3, 12:30 pm
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Special Thanks to:
The Hamilton Santa Claus Parade
Keegan Forklift & Industrial Equipment
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About the Author
