The BIG Question

Every year I have people I know from other cultures and countries come and tell about their December traditions. It is always fun to see what other people do. I have had people from Russia, England, Germany (that was a special treat when he showed up in his little leather pants), Peru, Bethlehem and since I teach in Idaho I always have someone tell about Christmas in Mexico. The customs are interesting, but it is sometimes scary because these people just come and basically tell their stories.
Today was our last day before break. It was the only day the lady from Mexico could come. She told me at Parent Teacher conference that she had a funny story and she couldn't wait to share it with the kids. She said she knew I would laugh. Her english isn't great so she brought her daughter to translate for her. She really went to a lot of trouble and even made tamales and brought Mexican soda and candy to share. She was fabulous, but her story was...well, lets just say we had some issues to deal with.
She starts by saying that where she comes from they have Santa like we do, except that he puts the toys by the children's heads instead of under a tree. She told the kids in Spanish, which was then translated, that one day she snooped and found some toys in a closet. Wow, she thinks, Santa has already been here. However, she isn't 100% on that so she doesn't say anything to anyone--just in case. Christmas Eve finally comes and she lays in her bed and waits and waits to see who will put the toy by her pillow. (I am now waiting and waiting hoping she is not about to say what I think she is going to say.) She says that she lays there until she hears someone come into her room and she opens one eye, just a little. (I am now praying that she is going to say something about a jolly little elf, all dressed in red and white.) She tells the kids (and can I say that some of my students are hearing this twice because she is telling it in Spanish and it is also being told to them in English) that when she opens her eye, she sees her dad and he is holding the presents she saw in the closet. He saw her and made her promise that she would never tell or she would not get any presents, then to bring his point home--she did not get anything that year. I did laugh, only because of the looks on the faces of my students. You know the one. Remember when that kid in "A Christmas Story" gets told by Santa that "you'll shoot your eye out, kid." Thats' the one.

Fabulous, I thought, she just told my students 6 days before Christmas that there isn't a Santa. Luckily, we were able to convince them that her dad was helping Santa. I think (hope) they believed us.