Kringleville 2020: The magic of Kringleville like no other season

A message from Mrs. Claus to our Kringleville, Maine, USA friends. This certainly was a season like no other Kringleville season. Though Santa and I could not visit with you in the cabin, we were so pleased to be able to connect with so many of you remotely. The thing Santa and I missed the most were your holiday hugs.

We enjoyed our brief visit to Maine, USA for Kringleville’s “Light Up the Town” event brought to you by The Children’s Discovery Museum of Waterville. Santa and Mrs. Claus are excited to share with you that The Children’s Discovery Museum is projected to open in the fall of 2021. We sure hope that you will all visit the museum to learn, grow and have fun!

Santa was so happy to be able to receive your letters that you mailed to him at the Kringleville cabin in Castonguay Square, in Waterville, thanks to Kringleville’s postmaster Scott McAdoo. Your letters flooded into our North Pole mail room day after day.

The Kringleville Facebook page ended the 2019 season with 3,284 friends and followers.

We’re happy to share that there are even more Kringleville friends and followers in 2020: 4,612 and growing. This season, thanks to Santa’s friend Eric Lunt, Santa and Mrs. Claus were introduced to Fran Nuite. The good people at the Faith Church, in Waterville, allowed Fran to borrow their filming equipment and transport the equipment to the North Pole to film this season’s Kringleville videos for you. So much Christmas magic was able to be shared with you thanks to Fran and Eric.

It’s not too late to view the Kringleville videos. As Mrs. Claus always says, “Kringleville is not a season. It is a friendship.” The Kringleville Facebook page is active year-round, so we hope that you stay connected, because the spirit of Christmas should be more like the Hawaiian spirt of Aloha and live in all of us year-round.

This season’s videos include, storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus, songs by Eric Lunt (a.k.a. the Big E), songs by REZ Life Church, songs from Mrs. Claus, Santa and Mrs. Claus winter waltz, Christmas dance performances and cookie time with Mrs. Claus and friends, Santa and Mrs. Claus carriage ride arrival.

We decided to have a virtual season to try our best to help keep our Kringleville friends healthy and safe during this worldwide pandemic. We know some were disappointed to not be able to sit on Santa’s lap, but thankfully you were able to get a Christmas picture with Santa 2020 style through the computer. Santa and I enjoyed our zoom visits with you and wish that we could have spent more time with you, but you know that there were so many who wanted to visit with us, and it was also our busy season here in the North Pole.

One thing that Santa and I stressed to all of you this season was during all the changes, we hoped that you were still kind to others and to yourselves. What we heard over and over again this season was honesty from children. You expressed that this was a difficult year and that you were worried about making the nice list. One even said that his halo was a bit crooked, but that he tried his best. This genuine honesty coming from child after child had Santa and Mrs. Claus telling children that as long as you tried your best, that is all we can ask. And just like that, honesty placed many children on the nice list, because being honest is what good boys and girls do.

This season’s annual Kringleville Christmas ornaments were available for purchase in downtown Waterville at Holy Cannoli and Jorgenson’s Café on Main Street with 50 % of proceeds donated to the Children’s Discovery Museum and as always, the other 50 percent was a personal donation from Santa and Mrs. Claus to the Saint Jude Children’s Hospital. Santa and Mrs. Claus hand paint the collectible ornaments each year and donate proceeds to charitable causes that directly benefit children.

If you or your business would like to contribute to the success of this timeless Waterville tradition, please contact Amarinda Keys, at The Children’s Discovery Museum. Email Amarinda at amarinda@childrensdiscoverymuseum.org to ask how you too can be a part of the magic of Christmas at Kringleville for the 2021 season. If you would like to share your time and talent with our Kringleville family in 2021, please contact Amarinda to be placed on our Kringleville 2021 “I want to help Santa list”!

Santa and I ask that you continue to try your best. You have been brave…Continue to be brave! You have been strong through all of the changes that the year 2020 brought to you and the world you live in. Always remember to be part of solutions, rather than adding to problems. Be respectful of all others, because kindness begins with respect and a smile.

Though the 2020 Christmas season started with the newspaper headlines that Kringleville was canceled, we certainly proved that no one cancels Christmas, because Christmas lives in our hearts. Santa wants everyone to keep in mind that Christmas isn’t something you should have in your heart only once a year. The spirit of Christmas should live in your heart year-round. So, take Santa’s advice and be kind to all others! Mrs. Claus sends big hugs from my North Pole home to your home. Santa and I wish you all the best in this new year!