Holly and jolly

Santa’s been mighty busy these days, getting all of those last-minute gifts onto his list. So have his elves, working away at creating all the treats that will be waiting for the good boys and girls Christmas morning. All the kids out there will be happy to learn that, yes, Santa’s beard is real. And he’s always happy to lend a tender ear to anyone who wants to sit on his lap and ask for whatever it is they want from him this year. The CN&R checked in with Santa at the Chico mall to see how things were going so far this season.

What’s the most popular request this year?

Oh, that would be Playstation 3. And the Wii. But my elves are working a lot of hours, and I can’t promise them for everybody this year. But I’m sure they’re all going to enjoy their presents Christmas morning.

What’s the strangest gift you’ve ever been asked for?

Well, I had one little girl who came up to me and told me she wanted her mommy and daddy to be happy. So there’s a lot of drama in a lot of children’s lives—adult problems—and that really concerns Santa.

You can’t really have your elves work on that, can you?

Well, that’s not something you can make by hand.

Have you ever been stuck in a chimney?

No!

Not even after eating all those cookies?

No. No. No.

So, do you have to check with air-traffic control for your sleigh?

I fly above their flight path—above their radar.

What do you do in the off-season?

I like to visit the children and see how they’re doing. My expertise is in rocking horses. I’m now getting older and I have a lot of high-tech elves working on high-tech stuff. So I have more time to visit with the children.