I believe in Santa Claus #UnwrapChristmas

It only takes a spark to get the fire going.

And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.

That’s how it is with God’s love,

Once you have experienced it

You want to sing

You feel like spring

You want to pass it on…

A few of us gathered together for Secret Santa tidings, divided by names and united through a common Christmas spirit of sharing. And it is in this spirit that we bring this blog chain to you.

Due to my uncanny resemblance to Santa, I got picked to be the first one to start off the chain.

So stay awhile and allow me to unwrap Christmas on my blog for you.

You don't believe in Santa Claus.

It's okay.

There was a time when you did. There was a time in every young kid's life when he or she did. Every December, wherever you were across the world, your surroundings would take on a festive atmosphere as you headed towards that last fortnight. You would see stores with festive Christmas tree decorations. You would see glittery paper wrapped around mysterious gifts. You would see pictures of reindeers and mistletoe.

And you would see Santa Claus. The big jolly red.

He would be all around you - on television, on the streets, in malls, on cakes and pastries, as dolls and toys, in stores and on Christmas eve and on parties, even at your home. He would be the most iconic figure in the world, come Christmas week. And he had one job - that was to make you happy. Wherever he met you, he would greet you with a smile; often a chocolate and yes, even a surprise gift that would make you squeal with delight.

And then you grew up and the bubble burst - somewhere along the way, you realized that all the iterations of him you were seeing were not... well, really him. They would be your dad, your uncles, your family friends and strangers. But they were not the legend from the North Pole who magically swooped down every Christmas Eve and delivered a billion presents to everyone on Earth.  You were receiving gifts from normal people. And it took a little bit away from the magic.

I get why you stopped believing in him. But if you would allow me a moment more, I would like to let you in on a little secret.

You see, Santa Claus is real. He has always been real. You have met him as a child. And now it time for you to carry on to the next phase of a centuries-old tradition.

On more than one occasion on the blog, I have spoken about how helping others smile during their bad times helped me during my own bad times, giving me the confidence to believe I could make a difference in people's lives. In Santa Claus, I see the ring-leader of that philosophy - 'da man' whose sole purpose in life is to travel across the world just to make you smile and be happy as you come to the end of a long year.

This year, after so many many years, I actually gave (and received) gifts for Christmas, courtesy the Secret Santas, both online and in real life. 

Santa made a visit to our hospital too. 

Guessing the things people would like and trying to get them something that would make them happy was so much fun. It felt great to see their reactions as they showcased their gifts on social media. It felt like presents being opened under a Christmas tree on Xmas morning, even though we all lived so far away from each other.

When you think about it, there are two phases to this holiday season - to be the giver and to be the receiver of love; to be Santa and to be the kid who believes. 

Me being Santa to a 'little kid'...

Me being the little kid who gets a present from Santa...

In your childhood, for as long as they could, Santas of all races and sizes made you believe in the magic of Christmas as they got you to smile when you received your gifts.

Now that you've grown up, you say that Santa Claus isn't real. And that is unfair to the receivers of today. Don't you see... it is now your turn. The jolly red suit and the cherubic smile now passes on to you. You are now Santa for those who still believe. That is how it works... that is how it has always worked.

Because we carry forward the love and the sense of awe and magic to those whose eyes still light up at the sight of Santa, whether they be 7 or 70. It is our turn now to surprise people and show them that someone cared about them today. Friends, lovers, family, just a stranger on the street - everyone deserves to know they are loved. Everyone deserves to smile.

This year, I got to be Santa and the little kid as well once more after all these decades and it felt great. 

It made me believe once more that making people smile with pleasant surprises is a gift that keeps on giving, with both the giver and the receiver of the gift 'winning' in the game of love.

It made me believe in Santa once more. 

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Here's wishing you get to be both a Santa and a little kid to the ones you love too.

As the day progresses, each hour a new blogger will carry this chain forward, unwrapping Christmas in their own unique style for you and hopefully, filling your day with a lot of love and happiness.

I now invite Pratikshya to spread the message of Christmas and New Year on her blog.

Image Courtesy: Corinne

An InLinkz Link-up

All the bloggers in the #UnwrapChristmas series can also be accessed from this linkup once they are online.