Santa Clues

 

Yesterday I learned something about Santa that I had never known. He’s a musician.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...We are thrilled to have our beloved and talented Santa fill Syriana with lovely Holidays spirited music and songs Fridays and Saturday 7-9 and Sunday 12-2 until January 2, 2022. Happy Holidays to all... (Syriana Facebook page)

Photo credit Syriana

Alright then, well he does look like Santa, you think. But how can you be sure? Perhaps this will convince you:

Here he is in clothing more familiar and in settings that put us in mind of Christmas. Perhaps you have already seen him around Old Ellicott City. As to whether you believe that this is “the real Santa”?  That all depends on what theory you subscribe to. I’m inclined to believe he is one of Santa’s many helpers, as Santa is far too busy at the North Pole this time of year to make personal appearances. 

The fact that he plays piano in his off-hours truly endears him to me.

When he’s not tickling the ivories or helping Santa manage his heavy load this multi-talented fellow is James Carothers, retired elementary vocal music teacher. I’m not quite sure how he was drawn to Old Ellicott City in general or Syriana in particular, but it appears to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Earlier this year I touched on Syriana Café and Gallery after I read a wonderful piece from the BBCentitled “Untold America: Is this the new Main Street, USA?” by Eliot Stein. This quote from one of the co-owners struck me:

Communities are stories, and between the floods and the comebacks, we now have a lot of shared stories with the people here.  We feel like we belong to the story.

And now we see that Santa, whether visiting with children or playing tunes at the piano, is a part of their story, too.

You can learn more about Syriana on their Facebook page or at their website.