Homes Without Chimneys Need Santa Too!

Now that I have a kid, I’m excited to start some of the holiday traditions that revolve around the home…  the big tree, the stockings, the cookies for Santa.  But one thing that has me stumped – how do I explain Santa’s dramatic rooftop entrance if our home doesn’t have a chimney?

My parents had this same dilemma when I was really young.  For the first few years of my life, my dad’s job had us living in the Dominican Republic, in a fourth-floor apartment near the beach.  No snow, no roasting chestnuts and no fireplace for stockings.  To solve the Santa-chimney dilemma, my parents concocted a story of Santa’s Dominican elf, “Sergio,” who roamed the Caribbean and threw presents through open windows on balmy winter nights.  Odd now, but very believable then.  One time my sister and I were getting a bath and two candy bars came flying through the open bathroom window, presumably by Sergio who was making his early rounds to make sure we were being good.

So, what do you tell a little one who is ingrained with the image of Santa coming down the chimney? A Google search brought up a few good ideas for stumped parents: leave Santa a key (practical answer), explain that Santa is simply magic, and send an elf through a window (sort of Sergio-esque).  I guess in a modern twist, we could also include the alarm code in our letter to Santa…

There’s even a children’s book devoted to the subject, although the book review doesn’t reveal Santa’s alternate route. You would have to buy the book to find out.  Any “Sergio” stories out there or things you’ve told your own kids?

(Photo of Santa outside of an apartment building courtesy JZ’s Blog)