20 Weeks Until Christmas

20 weeks now remain until Christmas and I’ll tell you – that sure sounds like a small number to me.

We count down week by week but it never really feels like we’re getting closer to Christmas and then suddenly one week comes along where the number gets smaller and – bam! – Christmas is suddenly staring us in the face.

Here at the North Pole THIS was that week. Christmas in July is over and all of a sudden it’s time to step on the gas.

So let me share a couple of news items with you. First an update for you about Santa’s sleigh. For whatever reason we’re not hearing a whole lot about the new sleigh and it’s getting to be about that time where we talk about it.

Elf Ed Zachary told the trackers over at SantaTrackers.net yesterday that many elves in Flight Command don’t want to talk about the test flights of Santa’s sleigh for one simple reason: those flights are going so well they don’t want to jinx anything.

And that’s true. The word I get from the test pilots is that Santa’s sleigh has never been faster. The sleigh guys are all over the moon about how well this sleigh is testing. It’s going THAT well.

So, with that being reported, I can tell you now that the focus on the return of the rest of Santa’s reindeer is starting to get some talk. Now, understand the reindeer leave each winter in January and customarily return to the North Pole sometime between mid-September and Thanksgiving Weekend. Usually, it is earlier instead of later. We usually don’t know when it is going to happen, it just happens.

Actually, I think Santa somehow knows. But with Santa still gone on walkabout we can’t ask him. Would he still know? Probably. Santa it appears is more connected to the North Pole that we all thought he would be after being gone for so long.

Which brings me to my second bit of news: Santa’s mail.

Elf Hugo from the North Pole Post Office had a meeting this week with Mrs. Claus to update her on trends in the mail coming to the North Pole. As usual, the Post Office is seeing a big increase in mail for Santa since the start of August.

Elf Hugo says there is very little concern out there for Santa being away from the North Pole. He said they are getting a lot of questions about what Santa is up to but nobody seems to be too concerned that Santa isn’t back yet. Many are still sending in notes suggesting places where Santa might be. Some even include pictures of people they think could be Santa, based on local sightings. But overall, there aren’t real concerns for Santa beyond one thing: will Santa have time to get the message about what they want for Christmas.

The answer to that is: yes.

Santa travels a lot every November and December. So the Post Office is already well versed in helping Santa handle his mail when he is not at the North Pole. The difference between walkabout and that time of the year is only that right now they don’t really know where Santa is or what kind of schedule he’s keeping.

But, as Elf Hugo told Mrs. Claus, it appears Santa is keeping up with your letters, messages and wish lists. He often sends back notes to the Workshop, or to Elf Hugo or even Mrs. Claus, of things he needs to remember come Christmas.

So, honestly, that whole mail department thing is going really well so far. Keep writing. Feel free to send Santa any kind of message you want. He’s getting it and he wants to hear from you.

Next week, as our countdown turns to the teens, we’re going to talk back to school. Because that’s definitely a thing.

Toodles.