What Has Happened To Santa Claus? E-Book

Christine Munroe

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 39

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

It's the beginning of December and not only has Petrella fallen out with her best friend over a stupid presentation for school but her mother also gives her the most horrendous advent calendar Petrella's ever seen. She soon discovers, however, that this calendar allows her to speak with Santa's elves, who send her on a quest to save Santa who's being held prisoner at the South Pole!

Leseprobe

What Has Happened To Santa Claus?

PrefaceWhat Has Happened To Santa Claus?Copyright

Preface

Many Christmas stories I know and have come to adore have animals at their heart and a peaceful, somewhat romantic setting.

Much as I love these stories, I'm not one to write them like that. It's not me. My stories aren't usually romantic because I try to break with clichés. So in a way, my stories are somewhat modern.

I'm breaking with another cliché in this story – but that's for you to discover later on!

In this story I take up the tradition of German Christmas markets and advent calendars.

The vast majority of German Christmas markets opens at the end of November and they last until December, 23rd. Some last until January 6th, others are only open for a long weekend. Many markets, especially the smaller ones, often only offer food and drink but others offer a lovely variety of arts and crafts, e.g. Karlsruhe, Freiburg or Pforzheim. Sometimes there're even medieval Christmas markets like the one in Esslingen near Stuttgart, Durlach near Karlsruhe, or Pforzheim.

Christmas without Christmas markets doesn't feel like Christmas. It has to be cold, your feet, nose and fingers have to be utterly numb from the biting wind while you're sipping a mug of steaming mulled wine. That's when adults know Christmas is around the corner.

Children, on the other hand, get to enjoy advent calendars. The simple ones that every supermarket sells have 24 little doors or windows that contain mini pieces of (usually rather bad tasting) chocolate. One chocolate for 24 days leading up to Christmas, beginning on December 1st.

The more elaborate calendars can be filled individually with whatever the children are interested in, depending on their age. I've given my children coupons, make-up, toys, puzzles, board games....you name it.

My own mother was very talented and made a Santa Claus doll that she placed into a basket which she had transformed into a hot air balloon. We hung the basket with Santa sitting in it on the ceiling so he seemed to be flying. Attached to the basket were 24 small cloth bags that the elves filled every night.

In my family we always decorate the house at the beginning of December because to me, the time leading up to Christmas is the most enchanting one. Life slows down and people are more friendly, too.

After Christmas, I just want to toss everything out as fast as possible. I'm done with Christmas for another year!

In many of my stories I seek to empower girls, make them realize how strong and smart they are and that they don't have to apologize for who and what they are and that they can accomplish anything if they set their mind to it.

I obtained the information on Antarctica online and everything mentioned was accurate and up-to-date in the year 2021.

What Has Happened To Santa Claus?

It was the last day of November but Petrella was not in a christmassy mood at all. She must have got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning because first, she had forgotten that the first period had been canceled so she arrived in school too early. Then she got back a bad grade on her chemistry test and to top it all, she had a big fight with her best friend, Oliver.

Now she was sitting on her windowsill, head pressed against the cold glass pane, and watching the rain run down her window. It was coming down so hard that she could hardly see outside. It was stormy and chilly and not even the cup of hot cocoa her mom had given her before going out to run some errands could cheer her up. It was a dismal day.

Her siblings were out with friends so at least the house was quiet; her dad was at work. Petrella was glad that she had not accompanied her mom, although she wanted to take her to the Christmas market.

Petrella usually tremendously enjoyed strolling over the Christmas market, especially on a weekday afternoon when there were few other visitors. One had plenty of space and time to walk from stall to stall and check out the wares, chat and have plenty of unhealthy snacks without getting scolded by your parents or elbowed by other people trying to skip the line. The air was fragrant with roasted almonds and chestnuts, brats and fries and mulled wine.

Every year Petrella and Oliver took an entire afternoon to shop for Christmas gifts, go ice skating and eat skewered potatoes with garlic dip. If they were very lucky, it even snowed. When that happened, they would link arms and bellow out every Christmas song they could think of, just for the fun of it.