14 Weeks Until Christmas

Hi everyone. There are just 14 weeks until Christmas yet the big topic here has been – Thanksgiving.

Three weeks from now is Canadian Thanksgiving. That’s a thing here at the North Pole if only because Santa and Mrs. Claus usually go to Canada for a family Thanksgiving every year. Mrs. Claus, you see, has family there.

The big question about Thanksgiving in Canada this year has been whether or not Santa would be home from walkabout before this event occurred. It appears he is not going to be. Mrs. Claus has made plans to travel to Canada three weeks from now by herself.

For whatever reason, that has some people here at the North Pole concerned.

I’m starting to detect a little impatience with two things right now: Santa and the reindeer. They’re not here and not being here has some saying it doesn’t feel like Christmas.

And that’s crazy.

The weather here has turned. Snow is piling up now. Folks are starting to talk costumes for the Halloween party and others are already working on their lights for the big Christmas decorating contest.

Some are even starting to talk about the annual Thanksgiving Day Elf Parade.

Workwise we’re all in full Christmas mode. Seriously. Every department is humming. The very air here at the North Pole smells like candy canes. And there’s a good reason why. For the next month it’s the biggest candy cane production season of the year here at the North Pole.

But it is not the same without Santa and the reindeer.

Right now the reindeer barn is one of the loneliest places at the North Pole. You see, not only are Santa’s starting nine reindeer here but NONE of the reindeer are here. By this time there are usually tens of thousands of reindeer here. And they are not.

The barns are empty, the stalls are empty, and the fields are empty.

Christmas for many mean being able to see the reindeer and to visit them and to pet them and to feed them.

Usually we’d be talking about all the reindeer babies and what to name them. The anticipation of the Reindeer Games is usually a big event but right now no one even knows when they will be put on the calendar because nobody knows for sure when they will be back.

With Santa more or less sending Mrs. Claus to Canada alone for Thanksgiving it means at least another month or more without the Reindeer.

And people are starting to talk. Some even are depressed about it and complain they cannot get into the Christmas spirit.

Mrs. Claus and I have talked about this. I don’t mind telling you that I have learned to tell Mrs. Claus everything I hear. Everyone knows that too because sometimes when I go places now I can tell that people stop talking when I am around.

I’m okay with that.

But I tell Mrs. Claus about stuff because I think it is important that she know how everyone is feeling. And she is concerned that this walkabout thing is going on too long. I know she has told that to Santa.

I just don’t know what Santa is going to do about. He isn’t talking to anyone but Mrs. Claus and she is giving me no clue if he is coming back soon.

I predict they are going to keep talking about it if he doesn’t come home soon.

Hopefully that is sooner rather than later. I would hate to be at the North Pole in November without Santa.