Christmas day (en français: Noël) is fast approaching: Christmas eve (the day before Christmas) is December 24, and Christmas is the next day. On that joyful day kids around the world eagerly rush downstairs to see what Santa Claus has brought them. Qui est Santa Claus? Je vais expliquer: Santa Claus is a jolly old elf who has a toy-building workshop at the North Pole. All year, Santa’s helpers, who are also elves, build toys for good boys and girls. Santa Claus keeps a great big list of all the children who have been good and all the children who have been bad. If you’ve been good, he gives you lots of presents when he comes down from the North Pole on Christmas eve…By Christmas Eve rolls around, Santa’s list is complete and all the toys are ready to be given to the good boys and girls. Santa loads up all the toys into his great big sack and puts on his sleigh. His sleigh is pulled by eight flying Reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen. Reindeer, sleigh, and Santa fly all over the world and land on people’s snow-covered (or not so snow-covered) roofs. Santa then takes the sack and goes down the Chimney with the presents. The family has set up a Christmas tree under which Santa lays the big presents. The smaller presents he puts in stockings hanging next to the fireplace and then he goes back up the chimney, onto the roof, gets into his sleigh, and goes to the next house to repeat the process. Needless to say, Le jour avant Noël, Santa est très pressé! I hope that this isn’t too confusing! Here are some pictures to help you visualize:Santa:

The Flying Reindeer and the Sleigh:
