圣诞老人 ＝ sheng dan laoren = Christmas Old Man = Santa Claus

Christmas came to rural China this year, thanks to the tireless spirit and festiveness of us foreign fellows!  I’ve never worn a Santa hat for longer than five minutes until this Christmas.  When I wore one for days on end.  Some might say we overcompensated, but really it was necessary to create the atmosphere around the holiday, since most people around us had no idea that it twas the season.

Christmas was saved by many a delivery from America, which included goodies like: a super plush Santa hat, hundreds of candy canes, a little Christmas tree with ornaments, festive chocolates, and a SANTA SUIT.  Thanks Pank and Justin!

Telling Sheng Dan Laoren what I want for Christmas.

 

My students Maggie and Molly came over to try out the suit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I told my students that Christmas is the most important holiday in America and that everyone always celebrates it with their families.  Since this was the first time I wouldn’t be with my family on Christmas it was their job to celebrate with me!   I gave them pictures of Christmas-y things, put on Christmas music, and had them make cards and decorate little white circles, which acted as ornaments as we trimmed our own green paper tree together.

In one of my fifth grade classes, I had arranged for Wang Yong to knock on the door 10 minutes into class and come in dressed as Santa, with candy canes for all the good little boys and girls.  I went to answer the door when the knock came, right on schedule, and saw before me the PERFECT Chinese Santa.  It turns out Wang Yong had gotten cold feet and recruited one of our favorite local teachers, the conveniently portly Zhen Laoshi, to take his place.  Unfortunately Zhen Laoshi couldn’t get the iconic “ho ho ho” down.  It came out more like a deep “huh huh huh.”

The kids came up with some great cards.  I told them to give them to their parents on Christmas and show off how they can say “Merry Christmas” in English.

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