Tag Archives: Xmas

The true beginning of Christmas (The big secret)

Helène was, like all children, in love with Christmas; she couldn’t wait to wake up that morning and run into the living room to see what Santa had brought for her.

It was the most magical day of the year and the days before were not so different!
Moreover, her mother set up a small treasure hunt for each day of the advent calendar and always made her find a small gift.

She couldn’t wait to make the tree: if it was for her, she would do it the day after Halloween!
One day, however, came a doubt, already among his friends there were many who didn’t believe in Santa, but she was just sure of the existence of that magical gentleman.
So, she asked his dad, and said to him, “Daddy, but if you were the one who put the presents under the tree, would you say it to me?”

His father, among other things, strongly believed in Christmas and in all that represent, despite his age, he had always remained a little child and had never stopped to ‘feel’ that wonderful magic.

The father, however, didn’t know what to answer and tried to mislead the topic: “Err… yes we’ll talk with mum as soon she come back ok?”

As a child, in fact, Helène’s father waited for the arrival of Baby Jesus who brought the gifts and even the Baby Jesus never skipped the appointment!
Gifts were always small and simple, he loved playing with robots and other elementary things compared to today’s world. He had basic demands for that time: but the gifts brought by Baby Jesus were the special ones. Whether it was a small metal robot or a fantastic slot car track with which play all Christmas day.

It was when the child grew up that he desired things more… ‘complex’.
The world was changing and at that moment the first electronic games arrived, the child was fascinated and began to have very specific requests for the poor Baby Jesus who was born 2000 years before!

So, the child’s father, Helene’s grandfather, who also didn’t understand much about all those devilries, made him choose his own gift.

It was a beautiful video game! Where you had to climb a castle avoiding bats and vampires!

He had a very simple graphic, but while he was playing, the child really felt on the walls of that castle in the mists of Transylvania!

Unfortunately, having chosen the game himself and having had to specifically indicate in the shop on Christmas morning, in addition to the game did not receive anything else and that day he felt as if Baby Jesus had never really existed.

At one point he felt a deep sense of sadness. That sadness that arrives on Sunday evening when the party is over and the children the next day must go back to school and adults to their work.

In that moment, however, one thing happened: he felt he had to go out on the balcony, despite the December cold, he looked at the sky and barely saw a star, the rest was clouded.
And the child hoped that at this precise moment the star was Santa Claus or Baby Jesus who came to console him and felt a burst of cold and damp air in his face that made him incredibly tremble of joy!

He didn’t understand what that feeling was, but it was like a magic hand gave him a caress, suddenly everything seemed beautiful even that day which suddenly was became sad and the idea of the school that would start shortly thereafter! Now he was sure of it: something or someone magic existed! And he had come to console him just in the time of need, but of course he couldn’t show himself. Perhaps because it simply belonged to another world.

Thinking back to this magical thing Helene’s father explained to her:
“My love, Santa Claus exists, and it is a magic that enters people and makes them do miraculous things.
Someone calls him Baby Jesus, other Santa Claus and others don’t believe it at all, but that spirit exists and enters people who believe in it, making people become better and parents find gifts impossible to find on that night where everything is possible and wonderful.”

Helenè understood that her father was teaching her something important, something important in every day of the year, not just at Christmas and she was now the keeper of a great secret: if people believe strongly in something, they can become magical themselves and they will always have the magic of Christmas on their side.
A short time later, Helené grew older, she knew she was the keeper of the big secret, and having a little cousin named Julie, one day she asked her: “Do you think Santa exists?” And she answered without any doubt: “Of course yes!” and she stayed awake with her the night of the eve until midnight, whispering at last: “Let’s go to bed, you don’t want to make him find you awake!?!”

While the little girl was getting into bed, Helène gaze through the window of her room once again up to the sky, knowing in her heart that surely, something magical and beautiful would happen that night.