The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold

There are many things about Santa Claus that people find unbelievable, like his flying reindeer, his ability to visit every child in the world in one night, or his impressive list-making abilities. But did you know Santa has similar doubts about who writes him letters or leaves him snacks? What would happen if one day, Santa stopped believing? Well, today is that day because Santa doesn’t believe that a young boy named Harold is real, and it just might change Christmas forever.

The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold is a genius reimagining of the curious mixture of doubt and wonder that makes up Santa’s magical aura, spun around 180 degrees. It’s very funny to see Santa asking logistical questions about cookies and gifts instead of the kids.

What really sells the story, though, is that it’s a very silly idea executed with fine attention to detail. If it was just played for laughs, the ending wouldn’t work because the reader wouldn’t care. But the author got us invested in both Harold and Santa’s stories by treating their doubts seriously, and the ending is made all the better by it.