By Sophie Hollis,
Staff Writer
For those who have to see something to believe it, look no further. Santa Claus has spent the past few weeks in Winston-Salem hanging out at Hanes Mall, and he’ll be there until Christmas Eve.
No need to worry about legitimacy, either. This Santa knows he’s the real deal.
“I have the spirit of Saint Nick,” Santa said. “Even my own grandchildren know it.”
Santa said he normally declines press interviews, but made a special exception for Pine Whispers when approached during a slow time at his special spot at the mall.
Santa spends 11 hours a day with kids, listening to what they want for Christmas. Recently, the demand for more traditional and classic toys, such as Barbies and toy trucks, has decreased tremendously, Santa said. More and more children are now asking for expensive electronics such as iPods and iPads, which begs the question: How can Santa keep up with such expensive requests?
That’s one of his trade secrets. Despite the trend changes, Santa remains rather jolly.
“The children are so precious,” Santa said when citing his favorite part of the job.
In addition to taking Christmas requests, Santa said he also spends time playing almost any instrument conceivable. His list includes banjo, organ, piano, trumpet, bass, violin and clarinet.
Santa has also gotten many strange Christmas requests. A child once asked for a house with no doors and no windows, and a woman asked for her husband to come back to life. Luckily, Santa said he always knows just what to say to any and all requests.
That is, until he is asked about his own wish:
What do you want for Christmas, Santa?
After a pause, he replied: “I’ve got everything, except world peace.”
Perhaps, then, it is our turn to give Santa a gift this year.