Oh, what a joy it is when, after a hearty meal of Vitel Toné, stuffed tomatoes and Russian salad, the moment comes when the little ones in the family are crying out for presents. And the fact that children are anxious is not the fault of the screens, nor of TikTok, nor of Roblox, nor of them Brain rotbut about this guy who had been there since three in the afternoon (why did he come so early, right?) and told them, “Is Santa Claus coming? Hmm, I don’t know if he’s coming this year.” For this reason, at the time of Mantecol, the youngest members of the family are on the verge of outrage and when they see Santa Claus coming through the door: A) they cut him up. B) they take his gifts. C) they dismember him and take his gifts.
Thanks to the movies, Santa Claus was always shown coming in through the chimney and smiling and handing out the presents; But if a guy in disguise comes to you at night on the 24th, it is most likely that you will end the day robbed, tied up and… Use your toes to dial 911.
It is known that families always tried to surprise the children with the presence of Santa Claus, and for this reason the girl’s uncle, grandfather or boyfriend was dressed up, who had to admit defeat because he had just joined the family. So every year they tried to have the man with the presents after midnight (clarification: the man with the presents is Santa Claus, not a Peronist mayor desperate for votes). However, things never went perfectly: Santa left his watch on, or he was very thin, or he smelled of charcoal from cooking the grill, or before he walked out the door. (because he apparently doesn’t arrive in Adrogué in a sleigh, but in a Renault 12) He formed a V with his fingers and demanded Cristina’s release. It’s also true that the context never helped: In the United States, it snows, Christmas carols are heard, and cookies in the shape of happy little men are baked. Here Santa Claus arrives at 42°, while you can hear that the neighbor has “The Killer Bombon” on his stick and in the background you can see the Pelopincho overflowing with chlorine.
All of this is known to be contrary to the magic of Christmas, especially because the little ones in the family are torn between the excitement that childhood brings and the fear of opening the door to a man in a costume at night and in the suburbs. It must be remembered that in the child’s brain the idea that the cartoons gave him and the reality that he saw on the news coexist. Therefore, it is normal that I initially look at the white-bearded stranger with a face like: “Do you open the door to every idler in this house?”
Insecurities aside, it’s all joy when they relax because Santa opens the bag he keeps the presents in (as well as the bags and the car keys) and takes out the presents. A board game, a Barbie, the float and a pencil case that the aunt bought in advance even though classes start in March (unless there is a strike because they have seen what this country is like).
Nothing here, nothing there. Just as he arrives, the mysterious man of the night leaves. The children are amazed at the gifts and do not notice that the uncle, grandfather or cousin who speaks incoherently was not there. You wouldn’t suspect that one of them was in that polar suit that smelled like a rush hour bus. They don’t want to realize that there is a trap behind the magic, and they don’t want anyone to take away the joy of experiencing this moment that they’ve been waiting for all afternoon since their uncle told them about Santa’s arrival.
Now they’re happy… but they’re not naive. And as soon as the beloved family member returns, they look at him with tears in their eyes and say to him, even if they are five, six or seven years old: “You just let a man in a costume come in, see if he hasn’t been bothering you with your cell phone!”
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