North Pole Smoking Controversy

I found myself recalling that the Santa Claus of years gone by smoked a pipe.  It was even described in the book, 

Twas The Night Before Christmas. 

“The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth.  And the smoke it encircled his head like wreath.” 

 It’s amazing how times can change.  Nowadays, a smoking Santa would never be part of a children’s book.  I don’t know if any other human beings in history have ever had the experience of seeing the world change so much, and in so many ways, over a few decades of their lives.  I doubt it.  What a pivotal time in human history have those of us living now found ourselves born into.

So what is a poor Santa Claus to do without a pipe?  I don’t know.  Maybe replace it with a candy cane. #candyisdandy

Okay, I was wrong.  I guess for the sake of tradition and a traditional story, Santa is still sometimes shown with a pipe, at least in this Dollar Tree version of  “Twas The Night Before Christmas”.  It’s a really stupid looking pipe though.  Maybe Santa is smoking something other than tobacco. 🫢

And here I am wrong again.  It seems that maybe “Twas The Night Before Christmas” is granted a pass from current social and political correctness.  I did, though, also see another edited version that did not contain the pipe smoking verse.  So now every Christmas season, whenever I am out anywhere and I see this story, I am going to have to look at a copy to see if Santa Claus has his pipe.  How did I never think of or have an interest in this before today??  #lifeisweird

#santaspipetradition