Secret #2084 – What are the Santa’s Village Summer Games?

Hello Santa! Hello Mrs. Claus! Hello Elves!

I love sports a lot and we have Olympics, do you do Olympics too?

~Terri from Queensland, AU

***

Hi Terri from down under!

What a great question, and I love watching sports too, the Olympics are so exciting!

We don't exactly have Olympics here in Santa’s Village, but we have something that’s just as good, the Summer Games!

The Summer Games are a huge month-long festival and competition held each year on the steppes near Santa’s Village. Originally, the games were just for the reindeer, and once a year they would all compete to see who would pull Santa’s sleigh that year. The reindeer have contests like races, pulling heavy loads, and agility courses, and each again in teams because teamwork is one of the most important things. There are tests for all sorts of different skills to make sure that the reindeer are suited to be on Santa’s team.

Now, the reindeer still compete each year, but so do the elves! It just looked like so much fun that we all wanted to participate as well. Of course, we don’t participate in the same contests that the reindeer do!

All of the elves participating earn points for their clan, to see who wins by the end of the Games. There are races (three-legged and regular-legged), mazes, climbing, apple bobbing, high and long jumping, and all sorts of other contests. The Holhooja elves are usually the standout participants, and win many prizes—but there are always some wild card surprises from the other clans!

The Crafticians come up with a new contest almost every year, but they also plan all the parties and fun each night. And the Kapunki chefs make so much delicious food that it never runs out!

At the end of the games, Santa always makes a big show of announcing the winning elf clans, and then the reindeer that he chose for his team, but he always makes sure that everyone knows that they could be a winner as long as they don’t give up, and believe in themselves.

Everyone takes a long break from our work preparing for Christmas, and it’s a wonderful way to relax and celebrate before we really get down to business making sure that each year is a magical one. I can’t wait until the next Summer Games, and then the next Christmas!

Remember to be good Terri!

~Your helpful Postationist elf, Lunöt

XO Merry Christmas!

***