The Skinny Santa

Yesterday was a busy one.  After a morning of shopping, I came home to bake loaves of sweet cranberry bread for the neighbors.  The neighborhood treats are a an annual family event.  The boys made homemade fudge.  We added assorted candies and candy canes.  I know.  I know.  Its not real healthy but, its a one time thing and I'm not going to be the one to tell my husband he can't make fudge.  He takes pride in making it (and they tell me its very good).
Anyway, while we were decorating the treats, my son looks over at the mantel and says, "Mom, what's up with the skinny Santa?"  So I told him.  I had bought it at the local Hallmark/teacher's store.  I stopped in there looking for something special and was surprised to find they were going out of business.  Everything in the store was on sale for fifty percent off.  It breaks my heart to hear that they are going out of business.  That particular store got me through our son's elementary years.  And it was a huge help during my substitute teacher years.  I guess a lot of businesses are having trouble in this economy.  I hope the New Year brings better prosperity.  While I was there, I saw this Santa and had to have it.
Did you know the original Santa Claus was rather slim?  When the story first came to us, he was imagined as thin.  It wasn't until Clement Moore's poem in 1823 "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" that folks began to imagine Santa Claus as overweight.  This poem gave Santa Claus a fat makeover that surely would have now landed him a spot on "The Biggest Loser".  Then, Moore's image was imagined on paper by Thomas Nast, the same political cartoonist who created the elephant (Republican) and the donkey (Democrat) we now see every time there is an election.  Nast created the image of Santa we see today...big dude, jolly, long white beard, red suit, silly hat, yada...yada...yada.  Nast's Santa was a smaller "elf" sized depiction.  In 1931, the advertisers for Coca-Cola made Santa human sized, the image we image today.
I thought about it.  Suppose we re-imagine Santa Claus the way he was originally...slim and healthy?  Suppose we give him a true "Biggest Loser" makeover.  Then maybe we won't worry about his failing health, his addiction to sugary treats, or his inability to get down our chimney to fill those stockings without the benefit of magic.  Maybe its time.  Maybe even Santa Claus deserves to finally be fit.  
So, when you are out buying those healthy carrots to leave out for the reindeer this year, try to remember to leave Santa something healthy as well.  He's not getting any younger and we want to keep him around for a long long time.