Mazzy and Harlow Meet the Real Santa

Every year, leading up to Christmas, Mazzy, Harlow and I make the great trek up to the North Pole (aka take the subway to Macy’s) to visit Santa. Even though we are Jewish, visiting Santa is something my mother always did with me as a kid too. I know, because we have the pictures of me crying on Santa’s lap to prove it.

This year, we went as part of a collaboration with 20th Century Fox, to promote the 70th Anniversary of Miracle on 34th Street, which famously features a little girl at Macy’s who doesn’t believe that Santa is real. FYI, both my kids think that there are many fake Santas running around during the Christmas season but the REAL Santa resides at Macy’s. This is a fact. So when we watched the movie, they thought it was funny, because they knew the outcome before it even began. Of course, the Macy’s Santa is real!!!

Leading up to our visit, Mazzy and Harlow put a lot of thought into their requests. As I mentioned in my holiday gift guide, Mazzy told me that she was going to ask Santa for virtual reality glasses so that I didn’t have to buy them.

“Oh….so Santa has to buy them?”

“No. He is going to make them!”

Right. The magic of Christmas is alive and well in my Jewish household!

Harlow told me that she wanted to get a Barbie house, but a small one since a large one wouldn’t fit into our apartment. Hmmmm…whoever could have told her that??? She prepared for Santaland by looking online for the smallest Barbie house she could find and then telling me to bookmark it on my phone.

At the end of last week, I picked the girls up from school and took them up to 34th Street, where we already had our appointment booked. Santa is only seeing kids with reservations made ahead of time this year. He’s got a very busy schedule and reservations help cut down on wait time. Or so I’ve heard.

When we arrived, we stopped to look at the holiday windows which are always a highlight of Christmas time in NYC.

There was a viewer in one window that you could peer into and see Santa arriving at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Mazzy was tall enough to look in but Harlow needed help, so Mazzy picked her up.

Then we used the old fashioned wooden escalator (it’s the original and the oldest escalator in the city!) to go up to the 8th floor. Once there, Mazzy and Harlow quickly spied Santaland and ran over to the Polar Express.

Then we got to wind around the forest of Christmas trees and toy trains until an elf approached us and said it was our turn to see Santa.

If you were not previously a believer, I think the Santa we visited at Macy’s could change your mind real quick. He was perfection.

He put both kids on his lap, asked them what they wanted and even encouraged them to pick gifts that might be a little less high tech. For instance, when Mazzy said she wanted virtual reality glasses, Santa asked her what her favorite subject was in school. Mazzy said that she liked art the best and Santa asked if she might prefer an art set. Mazzy nodded as if in a trance.

Harlow, who never misses the opportunity to get exactly what she wants, asked if she could show Santa the picture of the Barbie house on my phone. This is Christmas in the 21st century, for sure.

Then Santa asked what I wanted for Christmas and I told him that I wanted my kids to be happy. I guess if I had really taken the time to think about it like my children, I would have said peace on earth, a happy planet and leaders who are good role models for our kids.

Not too much to ask, right? If Mazzy is right, maybe the elves can manufacture all that in their toy shop.

Before we left, we all took a picture together on Santa’s lap. Not one tear amongst us.