Scene Around: Fair Haven Santa Cruising & Musing

There’s no keeping Santa from a little pre-Christmas drop-in, pandemic or not, especially when there’s a fire truck for the transport.

On the heels of a canceled usual holiday celebration in Fair Haven’s Memorial Park and knee-top Santa time at the firehouse, sirens a blaring, Santa cruised all the way around town on Sunday. Fair Havenite Susan Culbert captured a moment of the drive-by.

He took a break from masked toy-making supervision, hopped on the fire truck and made sure kids in Fair Haven knew he was still watching and making that list of the naughty and nice.

While Santa has always been seen around town, and makes his entrance at the annual holiday celebration via firetruck, this year was a bit different. Purposefully distanced. Still embracing.

For those usual kids who cry and scream in fear of the red-suited, bearded stranger asking if they’ve been good, the distanced drive-by is, perhaps, a blessing. But what of the classic lap-top miserable children pics? This will be the year without that Christmas classic.

I was one of those terrified kids. I didn’t cry, but I did a lot of staring. And I thought I had been bad, because I got a pot holder-making kit instead of that damn doll with a wind, as I called it. It moved when you wound it up in the back. That was pretty fancy back then in the age of the dinosaur.

A generation later, my son had no fear of the bearded man. He plopped himself down on his lap and proceeded to tell on his mother. I had forgotten when I picked him up from the sitter to bring the gift he had made me. He still has that annoying habit.

Your favorite Santa moment? Were you fearful or fearless? What did you ask for?

Did you know and do you remember?

The most popular Christmas gift of the 1960s was the doll Chatty Cathy. She, obviously, talked. I do recall eventually getting one of those and it becoming a scary attic relic. Wish she were here now.

Easy Bake Ovens, Lite Brite, Ken doll and Suzy Homemaker followed in popularity.

In the 1970s, the most popular gift was the Nerf ball, billed as a harmless indoor ball. Well, it still knocked stuff over. Then there were Weebles. You know, they wobbled but they didn’t fall down. Some classics were also Magna Doodle. Remember that? And pet rocks! What a wild scam that was. And remember Stretch Armstrong? Kids tugged on that thing all day long.

The most popular gift of the 80s was the Rubik’s cube. What a gift to parents that was. It kept kids occupied for days, even weeks. Though, some parents became obsessed with it, too. Then there was Teddy Ruxpin, that talking bear with a cassette in its back, I think. Right? It took over as storyteller. And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Have ya ever played a turtle? I have. Now, I ask you, what kid can boast that about their mom? But I digress, because then came Nintendo, the start of the video game.

The 90s were the years of the Super Soaker, the comeback of Creepy Crawlers and Gak, the goo toy. I confess. I had no idea what it was until now. Sorry, child.

The millennium brought with it the Furby. Remember that? The little creature who talked to you when you walked by it? A furry baby of sorts. Barbie was very popular again in the millennium, too.

So, which was your favorite classic?

Look back at a few classic Santa moments in Fair Haven with us and remember those close Santa encounters. They will return …