A sudden chimney fall has changed one man’s life, and he’ll now have to spend Friday night on the go instead of at home with his son. The best part? He has a reinvigorated sense of belief in the magic of Christmas—more specifically, in Santa Claus.
Scott Calvin, a successful toy salesman, says he and his former wife, Laura, as well as her new psychiatrist husband Dr. Neal Miller all stopped believing in Santa at a young age. Thus, they felt their shared son, Charlie, needed to do the same.
Earlier this week, just ahead of Christmas, Calvin burned dinner, so he and Charlie went out instead. There would stop the normalcy of life as the family knew it.
When they returned from dinner, the father and son went to bed. Later that night, they were awakened by a noise on the roof. Calvin startled the man standing on the roof, causing him to slip and fall to the ground. That man was eventually identified as the one and only Santa Claus.
(When asked why he thought Santa was making rounds days before necessary, Calvin could only offer his personal best guess: ol’ Saint Nick was mapping out his route ahead of Christmas to ensure he knew the best flight pattern and new residences of the families who have moved in the last year.)
The dead man’s body vanished, leaving behind only a red suit and business card stating that anyone responsible for anything happening to Santa must put on the suit and continue from where he left off.
To please Charlie and assured by the card that “the reindeer will know what to do,” Calvin put on the suit and turned into Santa Claus himself. He says he was immediately flown to the North Pole, where he met Bernard, the head elf there, who explained to Calvin that by putting on the suit, he became subject to a legal technicality known as “The Santa Clause” and immediately accepted all of Santa’s duties and responsibilities.
Calvin recently returned from the trip northward. He has since grown a beard and a belly, his hair has turned the right shade of whiteish-grey, and he has come to love cookies and milk. Calvin has also gotten to know the reindeer very well, a positive considering they’ll be spending tons of time together in the next few days.
While at the North Pole, he also checked on the reindeer, the elves, and all the goodies that will soon be delivered to all the children on the Nice List. He also received a crash course on how to chimneys and homes without them altogether.
Charlie, on the other hand, is excited to know Santa personally and has been spreading the news that Santa is, in fact, real. His mom and stepdad are believers once again and will receive their due presents (because, according to Calvin, all who believe in him receive on Christmas).
As for what the future holds, Calvin isn’t entirely sure how The Santa Clause will shake out, but he is excited for now and looking forward to making his deliveries.
[Editor’s note: Thanks to Pete Sutherland for his help with the photo on the front page that goes with this story. The Santa Clause is available for streaming on Disney+.]