Santa visits Piedmont amidst busy holiday schedule

PIEDMONT, S.D. — A cold and cloudy December day presented the perfect opportunity to get some holiday shopping done, but when Santa appeared, plans for shopping for gifts flew out the window like a reindeer. 

First, we wanted to know what the cool toys are these days, and Santa had all of the details.

“Most children are asking for Legos, LOL Dolls, and Transformers, the classic never die,” he said.

We moved on to some more personal Christmas questions quickly. When exactly do Christmas preparations start?

“Well, I usually start by June. Mrs. C. and I enjoy our little vacation in the spring, after I’ve completed my rounds, and usually by November 1, it’s full speed ahead,” Santa answered.

How does Santa get around to so many houses in such little time?

“If you have a little Christmas magic and some Christmas love, and remember there’s 30-some-odds time zones, and if you can take a second and make it an hour, and a minute into a day, well it’s absolutely possible,” Mr. Claus explained.

There’s a lesser known secret as well that hides in the reindeer and helps save time. “Don’t forget, they’re all girls! Girls keep their antlers, so my sleigh is powered by female power!” 

Of course, we checked in on the other animals at the North Pole too.

“Well there’s always a lot of narwhals in the ocean, polar bears roaming around,” Santa says. “Yes, there’s all kind of wildlife and we try to take good care of them and conserve them.”

Last, but most important, was a brief discussion about how to stay on the nice list. Santa’s advice? “Sing loud and treat one another the way you want to be treated.”