Where Santa Stays All Year Round
Ana Kristine B. Valenzuela
Published December 23, 2007 – January 5, 2008
What’s On and Expat
IF NOT delivering toys and presents on the day our Savior was born, where would Santa be? Would he be taking his bath at a barrel tub? Or maybe sleeping at his crib? Would he be playing the saxophone or even singing “Santa Clause is coming to town”? Maybe, checking his list for children that were naughty or nice during the year and supervising the elves in making toys for the latter? But the tingling question is where exactly?
North Pole is where everyone thinks Santa Claus does all these. Then, who would have thought that Saint Nick has a house right here, which is the Casa Santa. A Santa Museum that not only opens during the holiday season, for Father Christmas stays here all year long.
The Christmas spirit most positively fills the house that started out as a collection of Edna del Rosario, the owner. She began colleting Santa thirteen years ago with the prodding of another friend who is also an avid collector of Santa Claus items. Her first a green capiz Christmas is still prominently displayed in the Casa Santa. Del Rosario picked up Santa figures from department stores, antique shops here and abroad. Her collection got bigger and bigger, which eventually needed a house, until finally she decided to be open a museum for the general public in 2004.
The many faces, shapes and sizes of Santa Clause would leave visitors in awe, as they find out that the man who sneaks in to give children presents on Christmas Eve had so many depictions as can be seen in the museum. Guests most especially kids are allowed to play with the Santa present in the house. Some of the figures are interactive. With a gentle push of a button, Santa begins to move, dance, sing, even play an instrument and get you into the joyous spirit of the birth of our lord. Inside the Casa Santa, you can see jolly Saint Nick take a bath in a barrel tub, sleep in a crib and rap hip-hop Christmas songs.
So, instead of Santa subtly making his way into your home, why not try to slip into Casa Santa, and have yourself a ho-ho-ho of a time.
Reservations are requested prior to visit. Call Jardin de Miramar at (02) 817-1589 or (02) 817-1591.