Christmas 1986 - Santa Bear

1986 was the second year of the Santa Bear promotion at Dayton's Department Store in Minneapolis. The bear's hat was labeled "1986 Santa Bear." I still have mine and it's pictured here. The deal was you had to spend a certain amount of money in the store and then you could get a Santa Bear for about 20 bucks. Mine was a gift from a friend who made a mental note when I mentioned that I thought they were cute.

Christmas 1987 - Pete, Sam, Joe

Pete is holding Miss Bear which was a Dayton's Department Store promotion in 1987. You had to buy a certain amount of merchandise and then you could get the bear for 20 bucks or so. I'm holding Santa Bear 1986 which was the promotion from the year before. This group shot is the only picture I appear in for Christmas 1987.

Christmas 1984 - Visit to Santa

I don't remember sitting on Santa's lap as a kid. Mom says she remem-

bers taking Sam and me to see Santa once but didn't have pictures taken. I have a vague recollection of going to Dayton's department store downtown Minneapolis and getting in a line and I remember some kind of Christmas gift shop that you ended up in after going through this line. Aside from that though, I don't remember sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what I wanted most for Christmas. Being a somewhat anxious kid, maybe I chickened out. Later on, during my college freshman year in 1984, Santa set up shop in the student union accompanied by a photographer. Feeling I had missed out before, I wasn't going to let another chance go by.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Book

Some families read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas every year during the holidays. We read How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957). I remember my youngest brother Pete absolutely loving it. He referred to roast beef as roast 'beast' for years. Mom actually still calls it this!

Many years later Pete and I, as adults, visited the Dayton's (now Macy's) department store Grinch holiday display in the eighth floor auditorium of the downtown Dayton's Minneapolis store. The story was just as enchanting as adults as it was when we were kids.

I love the message of the story that although the trimmings and trappings are nice, Christmas means a whole lot more.