Home » Santa's Got To Be Squeaky Clean This Christmas Season

 

The movie classic "Miracle on 34th Street" , a 1947 film starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn, is the story of what takes place in New York City following Macy's Department Store Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

People are left wondering whether or not a department store Santa might be the real thing. Because of its Christmas theme this film has become a perennial favorite.

 

In the movie an aspiring and struggling attorney (John Payne) tries to convince a skeptical , single mother (Maureen O'Hara) and her young and impressionable daughter (Natalie Wood) that a "nice bearded old man" (Edmund Gwenn) is the one and only Santa Claus.

 

The movie offers its viewers the opportunity to suspend their non belief in a Santa Claus and once again become inncoent children and enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of the holiday season.

 

These days however owners of many Santa Claus training academies are instructing their aspiring trainees to take extra precautions with the hordes of youngsters who will be visiting them this holiday season especially with the H1N1 virus running rampant and unchecked across the nation.

 

Santa Calus school graduates are being vigorously encouraged and instructed to change their gloves frequently and wash their traditional Santa beard and long white hair daily as these could be a source of infection. Their familiar red and white Santa outit is to be cleaned and sanitized frequently for safety concerns.

 

The parting Santa Cluas gift to many youngsters this year in addition to the candy will include a tube of Purell or other similar hand sanitizer to protect them from harm. Some Santas are also being encouraged from hugging and receiving kiss of affection from the little ones.

 

Many Santa Claus portrayers are also being asked to be especially sanitary about their own personal habits. A number of seasoned veterans reported that they have already had their regular seasonal flu and H1N1flu shots as  an added precautionary measures to protect the children.

 

Some Santas suggest they might even go so far as to place a large sign near Santa's North Pole throne to let the public know that they are following safe and sanitary personal habits and to encourage the public to wash or sanitize their hands frequently while shopping.

 

The Santa schools this year have issued a number of Do's and Don'ts for their graduates to follow. Hand cleaning stations will also be available to assure parents that everthing is being done to protect their children from contracting the virus.

 

In the simpler time portrayed in the movie the public needed to be convinced that an amicable old man with a white beard and friendly disposition was the one and the only Santa Claus.

 

These days, however, a very cynical and fearful public needs to be equally assured that the man in the red and whire suit chatting animatedly with their children is not a potential source of a highly contagious and deadly virus.