The Errors of Santa Claus by Stephen Leacock

Santa got milk drunk.

With Christmas just around the corner, it feels only right to dip into a few festive short stories. First up: The Errors of Santa Claus by Stephen Leacock. It’s a quick, delightfully silly tale about two families celebrating Christmas together, complete with aggressively old-fashioned, gender-coded gifts. The boys get toy trains, the girls get dolls, Dad gets cigarettes, Mom gets a bridge set. You get the idea. It’s all very much of its time and that’s part of the joke.

The ending genuinely made me laugh, which automatically earns this story extra holiday points. Mild spoiler warning, but it’s hard to talk about Leacock’s ironic humor without discussing the ending. Later that night, Santa completely bungles the job and puts the wrong gifts in everyone’s stockings. You might expect Christmas morning to be total chaos and disappointment. Nope. Everyone cheerfully accepts their bizarre new presents without complaint. The spirit of Christmas prevails! Also, the mental image of the kids puffing away on Dad’s cigarettes while Grandpa sneaks off to the attic with a bottle of whiskey is so absurd it’s impossible not get a few laughs from me. 

From the Stephen Leacock stories I’ve read so far, this one fits the pattern perfectly: funny, brisk, and smart enough to know when to bow out. He never overstays his welcome, which I deeply appreciate in a short story. In the case of The Errors of Santa Claus, Leacock delivers a sharp little holiday joke, wraps it up neatly, and leaves you smiling, like a literary stocking stuffer that’s just the right size.

You can read this story HERE.