January 11, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

10 things you don’t know about me… Santa Claus

This week the Record asked Santa Claus 10 questions about himself and he took time out of his very busy schedule to answer!

Santa will be visiting the St. Joseph Stanton Fire House this Saturday! Santa arrives at 10:30 a.m. and before that there is a pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. There will also be cookie decorating, coloring and other activities.

What is your favorite type of cookie?
My favorite cookies are big round and square ones but I don’t know if I ever saw a bad cookie, even the low cal ones Mrs. Claus makes for me.

What is your favorite part of delivering presents?
My favorite part of delivering presents is catching parents playing with the children’s toys and knowing in the morning there will be some smiling faces on the children.

What do the reindeer do during the offseason?
In the offseason the reindeer spend most of their time eating and running because they have to stay in shape for the next Christmas. They give the elves special sleigh rides so they all have fun.

What is the best part of the Christmas season?
The best part of the Christmas season is watching families go to church to worship the “Reason for the Season” the birth of the Christ Child that would save the souls of many by His sacrifice on the Cross. Next would be seeing the generosity of the people to help those with needs that they can’t meet themselves. Next would be to see all the joy that abounds with people of all ages during this time when opening gifts from loved ones and Santa. Next would be all of the delicious foods – the cookies, the candies, and the big family meals.

What do you enjoy most about visiting with children?
I love to see the sparkle of hope in their eyes. Wishing and hoping for that special thing. Even the ones that don’t know what they would like to have still have that hope for “surprises” on Christmas morning. They believe.

What is the best part about traveling the world on Christmas Eve night?
The best part about making it around the world on Christmas Eve is that we can actually get it done in one night. The only problem is that I don’t get to really spend enough time with the boys and girls. I guess that is the parent’s job to have fun with the kids. Parents remember it is not about the presents but about your presence.

What is your favorite present to give?
Giving a gift that will produce learning and/or fun and last a long time is what I like to give. Dolls and toy trucks come to mind. Children today want electronic games. Santa’s rule is an hour on electronic games (no more the two hours a day) equals one hour outside playing active games even when it’s cold and snowing.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
My favorites would have to be “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Joy to the World”.

What do you do during your offseason?
There is no offseason with Santa since we have to be getting ready for the next Christmas BUT I do like to take a break now and then and get away to visit places like Kenya, Brazil, Iceland to go hiking, camping, kayaking, even sitting on a warm beach and other outdoor sports we can’t do at the North Pole. All work and no play makes Santa a dull Ole’ Boy.

Why is Christmas important?
The World was becoming a very dark and sad place on that first Christmas when the Christ Child was born to bring a New Light into the World. Because of Christmas, many good and wonderful things happen to and for people of all ages. As the dark days of Winter come it is good to have some days with a little glitter and light that Christmas brings.

Merry Christmas to All!

in People
Banner
Related Posts

For Schmidt, hard work pays off

July 12, 2019

July 12, 2019

Sammi Schmidt isn’t afraid of hard work. The future Illinois State Redbird was awarded the Gary Butler award at St....

St. Joseph man peacefully protests against police brutality: ‘We need to listen’

June 4, 2020

June 4, 2020

Jon Arteaga isn’t looking for any praise by protesting at the corner of Main Street and Route 150 in St....

Employees help co-worker during time of need

February 8, 2021

February 8, 2021

The staff at the St. Joseph Subway wanted to help April Patton. Manager Adam Porter said his co-worker said she...

Senior Spotlight… Hannah Rajlich

June 18, 2019

June 18, 2019

Every week we ask an SJO senior five questions. This week we talked to Hannah Rajlich. This post is sponsored...

Kids’ recycling project leads to three new benches at local parks

September 11, 2019

September 11, 2019

The residents of St. Joseph will have three new benches to sit on. The village has bought three benches for...

Novak hopes butterfly garden benefits community

October 14, 2019

October 14, 2019

Heidi Novak isn’t a gardner. However, that didn’t stop the 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate from creating a butterfly...

Donation could change the face of sports and activities at SJO

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

An anonymous donor has made St. Joseph-Ogden High School an offer they couldn’t refuse. And because of it, SJO athletic...

Senior Spotlight…Jenna Albrecht

November 15, 2019

November 15, 2019

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we spoke to Jenna Albrecht, who is a...

Kids say…

August 26, 2019

August 26, 2019

Every week we ask students at local schools three questions related to farming. This week we spoke to students at...

Get to know Senior SJO Marching Band member Bryce Collins

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

The community surrounding Marching Band is filled with some of the most talented, passionate, and downright amazing people I’ve ever...

Eye clinic aiming for March opening

January 9, 2020

January 9, 2020

2020 is the perfect year for an eye care service to open. And St. Joseph is the perfect location for...

Acklin goes the distance, earns induction into SJO Hall of Fame

September 27, 2019

September 27, 2019

Jim Acklin has dedicated his life to coaching and teaching. For that he is being inducted into the St. Joseph-Ogden...

Senior Spotlight… Anna Wentzloff

January 27, 2020

January 27, 2020

What are your plans after graduation?My plan after graduation is to attend college to become a Child Life Specialist concentrating...

10 things you don’t know about me… Rylee Sjuts

May 15, 2019

May 15, 2019

We asked St. Joseph-Ogden’s Senior Class President and graduation speaker Rylee Sjuts to tell us 10 things we didn’t know...

Kids Say….What does farmer do?

January 6, 2020

January 6, 2020

We asked students from St. Joseph Grade School what they think a farmer does each day. Here are their answers....

Comments
Leave a Reply