Creating new traditions and celebrating old ones is just part of the reason why I love the holidays! As our kids have grown a bit older we have been able to capture and create our own family traditions and fun times!
One of our most fun traditions and sweet memories happens a couple of days before Thanksgiving!
The kids come racing off the bus, drop their bags at the door, and head right for the table!
At the table, they find things to write a letter and some candy to enjoy! They are making their wish list in their letters to Santa! All the advertisements that they have seen and read, the countless times they have been told save it for your Christmas list all come pouring out in this letter writing moment! 
Don’t get me wrong Santa doesn’t get all the credit! We let them know that we buy them gifts too! And last year our sweet boy found out that Santa doesn’t really come sliding down a chimney, eat all the cookies and carrots, and leave gifts under the tree. It wouldn’t have been so bad except in one swoop he then asked about the realness of the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, The Leprechaun, and Cupid. Talk about wiping away childhood in one conversation!
This year our sweet blonde girl keeps asking if Santa is real? Oh no! If we tell her she will whisper in her sister’s ear the truth and that would not be good!
How did we explain to our sweet boy the truth? I have planned for this moment, researched the right way to go about it, and of course, looked on Pinterest for some creative ideas! 🙂
In the end, we used one of our favorite books that also became a cartoon. Dear Viginia, there is a Santa Claus. This true story tells the events of a little girl that wrote to the newspaper. The letter that the editor printed as a response tells it all. The spirit of Christmas is about the giving of yourself, your time, and your talents. Those are the very things that Santa represents.
We also told him that there was a bishop long ago, whose name was St. Nicholas, who was known for handing out presents to the poor. It was from his life and the legacy that he left that we created the person of Santa Claus.
Our sweet boy’s response to the truth, “Jesus is the true gift of Christmas, and St. Nicholas was serving others which is exactly what Jesus wants us to do. So, believing in Santa isn’t all bad, as long as he isn’t the focus. Right, Mom.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
So, the kids write their letters, eat some candy, and then we pile into the car and off we go to the mall. They deliver their letters to the big red mailbox in Macy’s. For every letter mailed Macy’s will donate $1 to The Make A Wish Foundation! 
We then head to the center of the mall where Santa sits and waits. The kids then sit on top of Santa’s lap and without cracking a smile they stare up into his eyes and ask for a red ryder B.B. gun! Asking for this, of course, gets a chuckle out of Santa. He is the same Santa every year and he is the most authentic looking Santa I have ever seen. I am very tempted to tell my little love to tug on his beard to seal the deal!
Here are five different Letter To Santa Printables to choose from:
PRINT:
I print these out on card stock and they look great on regular printed paper too!
5 Ways To Give Back This Holiday Season
