Sometime in the early 1950s, my maternal grandmother bought a can of Fluffo shortening and with the can came 4 Christmas cookie cutters. They were an instant hit with my mother and her sister, but the Santa cookie was the favourite. My grandmother, faithfully each year, would make enough Santa cookies for both of her children’s classes at school plus a whole bunch more for home.

By the time the grandchildren arrived in the 1970s, the tradition of making Santa cookies for everyone’s class continued. However, that Santa cookie cutter was looking a little rough. I can remember in the early 80s, my mother trying desperately to “fix” it. She used rubber cement, hot glue and even tried some polymer clay. We limped that cookie cutter on as best we could, but now, there were 6 grandchildren with approximately 20 classmates each. That was a whopping 120 cookies, at least, for that poor, worn out cutter. We were beginning to despair, thinking this tradition might have to be retired.

Just when we thought all was lost, my cousin was down in Texas with her boyfriend (he was a truck driver) and he bought her a craft magazine. He flicked it to her across the cab of the truck and it fell open to that page that is filled with advertisements. My cousin looked down and started to scream. Well, her boyfriend thought she was crazy, but there, in the middle of the page, was a picture of the Santa cookie cutter! We very quickly rallied as a family and an order was placed for multiple Santa cookie cutters. Each child and grandchild got his or her own cookie cutter.

With the birth of my children, I was excited to take on the mantle of making Santa cookies for their classes. It is a family tradition that can’t be missed. We look forward to making these cookies every year. And today, after I finished decorating the 75 cookies I made this year, my 18 year old son as for his own Santa cookie cutter! My 16 year old daughter has asked as well. The tradition continues.

I guess I’d better go order me some cookie cutters!

– Sarah Lindsay – Atikokan, Ontario, Canada –