A Christmas Story under the Microscope

A Christmas Story began as a fleeting idea that occurred to me one night during my hours of insomnia. What if Santa got lost on his way from the North Pole and his mission to deliver gifts to children around the world was put in jeopardy? Still, during that same night, the first paragraph wrote itself in my head. As I took to committing the story onto the page over the next month or so, I realised I wanted to look at what lay behind Santa's mask and get to know about the person inside the red suit and sturdy black boots.

Yes, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, Père Noël, Sinterklaas or Kris Kringle (depending on your preference and location) is a mythical figure of fantasy known in Western Christian culture as a bringer of gifts and, as St. Nicholas, also the herald of the twelve days of Christmas, but the large man in the costume, his face hidden behind a white cotton-wool beard, sitting on a throne-like chair in stores, shopping malls and village community halls, inviting young children onto his lap and asking them about their Christmas wishes, is a real person living a complicated life far from the North Pole. Outside their legendary status of bringing joy to youngsters not yet old (and wise) enough to have become cynical about who really delivers the presents they find under the Christmas tree, these real men, once they've ditched the red suit, beard and boots, have ordinary lives they go home to. Lives, that like for the rest of us, may be fraught with problems — anything from health concerns and money worries to fragile relationships or uncertain job prospects. 

As my Christmas story took shape I found myself thinking more and more about Santa Claus as a person with moods and feelings that were more 'human' and 'ordinary' than the jovial, cheery character — the legendary Other — we associate with the figure of Father Christmas and St. Nicholas. In other words, humans — whether real or mythical — are fallible creatures and this is an aspect I wanted to explore in my story.

Just as the myth-filled tradition of gift-giving dates back to 16th century England and the reign of Henry VIII, when he was pictured as a large man in green or scarlet robes lined with fur, I wanted to take the story in the other direction and give it a potentially futuristic fantastical setting. Therefore, the Santa in my story has a wife whom, it would probably be fair to say, with her acerbic manner, he t0lerates more than really loves. Furthermore, he is on the autistic spectrum and displays unpredictable and occasionally volatile behaviour. Anything that is unexpected or challenging he finds severely problematic.

As a committed realist I don't often write fantasy stories, but this one crept up on me so unexpectedly and came together so easily — particularly the first part — that I had a blast writing it and wanted to do something more than merely adding it to the hundreds of stories already languishing unseen and unpublished on my pen drives, in cloud storage or in desk drawers.

So, here I am, sharing A Christmas Story with a wider, as yet unfamiliar audience. No pressure at all, but if you've enjoyed this story, do engage and make yourself known. My story is free to access, but if you're able to, perhaps you'd like to buy me a coffee to show your appreciation. or even just leave me a message: https://ko-fi.com/carolahuttmann.  

 

A Christmas Story
(download as a PDF)

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A Christmas Story

© 2024 Carola Huttmann
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please contact the author for permission
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