“All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” is the name of an old, familiar song of the season. It was composed during wartime (1944), which might explain the reason the songwriter stuck to the one gift request, as well as an impossible gift wish for Santa, or parents for that matter. Front teeth appear when children are six or seven usually, and unless a kid has his front teeth knocked out, they emerge on their own good time.
“All I want for Christmas” is also the sentence starter given by teachers as a writing assignment for the time-honored Christmas letter. Wishes of school kids all over the country are often shared in public to the folks who belong to a variety of charitable organizations. The only difference is that for quite a while the last name of the children has been omitted. The tightened legal requirements attempt to make sure that young folks and their families don’t fall prey to the criminals among us. If they are shared with anyone, only first names are allowed to be made public. Children themselves often make a separate Santa list for their families throughout the run-up. They write their Christmas letters addressed to the big guy in the red suit and by his helpers at the North Pole. The annual Santa visits in public places used to start only during the month of December, yet each year the commercial aspects of the holiday decorate stores long before Christmas Day.
The largest number of Santa visits will still take place in public places, although many families of the youngest children make their own arrangements for Santa to stop by their homes early on Christmas Eve. The phrase “All I want” has taken on a new life to accommodate the change in the meaning or usage of the first word, all. Now the lists are long enough to include much more than a few gifts and a family under financial constraints can no longer check off one or two items. Wallets are emptied completely and credit cards are maxed out. All most of us really want is for people in our families to show they care in the way that they are able. There is plenty of love leftover when the shorter list can be checked off. Understanding that all children need their families, or their friends to let other folks help Santa provide one or two of the items on the wish list during the holidays is understood. We also want and pray for the bigger intangibles: peace on earth and good will toward everybody just about covers it.
By DOLLY VISCARDI