BETHLEHEM, Pa. — He's made a list and will check it twice.
Bethlehem's resident Santa Claus recently revealed his naughty and nice list. And with only a few days left until Christmas, there's still time to make it onto the good pile.
"We've had some scout elves, as we call them, like the Elf on the Shelf, who have been a little bit naughty. They're not on the bad list, but they need to clean up their act a little bit," Claus said.
"With a few days of Christmas left, I put them on the 'checked the list twice,' list. At the North Pole, we check the list twice for a reason. You either need to try harder or you keep being good."
St. Nick (portrayed by Tom Dubreuil of Bethlehem Township) has been watching over the city for the last five years.
Dubreiul, who works as a director of student affairs at Pennsylvania State University’s Lehigh Valley campus, said he plans to open a Christmas-themed shop downtown come Spring.
That new business will allow Santa, uh, Dubreuil, to fulfill his passion for Christmas full-time.
"It's gonna be called 'Dear Santa...,' and we're going to carry a lot of classic ornaments," he said. "There will be a lot of activities for kids, story times and [children] can sign up to participate in a party where they build a toy with Santa, or decorate ornaments with Santa and Mrs. Claus."
As a shop-owner, he'll have more time to mingle with locals and find out who's making mischief around town.
Mind your manners
"People who jaywalk throughout Bethlehem and don't wait for the light are definitely on the naughty list," Santa said.
"When I'm out as Santa and I walk up and down the street, I always wait for the light to change on the crosswalk."
Hey, find a legal place to park your sleigh, Santa says.
"The folks who double park on Main Street are definitely on the naughty list," the Jolly Old Elf explained.
And for goodness' sakes, don't litter.
People who "drop their trash and cigarette butts on the ground" also got crossed off the nice list.
Lastly, among those receiving a lump of coal: People who refuse to say "excuse me," or "thank you," and those who don't tip the wait staff at restaurants/bars.
For the kiddos, specifically: Santa suggests that you respect your elders, brush your teeth and go to bed on time.
"Most importantly, and what I tell kids all the time, is to be kind to everyone," Santa said.
The nicest in town
"In Bethlehem specifically, you know, everyone walking down the street who gives you a smile or says Merry Christmas are traditionally on Santa's nice list," Kris Kringle said.
A special jolly/merry shout-out goes to the "hardworking" employees at Biddy and Beau's at 74 W. Broad St.
"They always make Santa a great cup of hot chocolate. I stop in there every year when I'm in town, and in the summer, they give me a frozen chocolate drink that is delicious," he said.
Next on Claus' nice list: the city's employees responsible for setting up all the lights and Christmas trees within in the city.
"The ones who decorate the tree down on Payrow Plaza, and the folks from Historic Museum & Sites who plan all the events like the walking tours and carriage rides are certainly on the nice list," Claus said.
Kudos to the World Heritage Site Committee, who also made Santa's nice list in 2023.
In February, the U.S. government officially submitted a nomination for the city's historic Moravian Church settlement to be designated a World Heritage Site.
The application by the U.S. Department of the Interior is a first in that it is a multi-national one and encompasses an effort by local historians to include Bethlehem with the town of Herrnhut, Germany, and the village of Gracehill, Northern Ireland — and have them join Christiansfeld, Denmark, which was designated a World Heritage site in 2015.
Waste collectors made the nice list as well.
"They do a hard job by cleaning up at all the festivals," Kringle said, giving thanks to the group responsible for collecting trash at Musikfest, returning for 11 days in August.
Frontline workers are at the top of the nice pile.
"The horses from Bethlehem's mounted police unit and the Bethlehem Police department are on the nice list," St. Nick said.
"Oh, and the Bethlehem Fire Department, who gave Santa a lift on the fire truck to the tree lighting. And all the Emergency Medical Services employees — they are certainly on the nice list," Kringle added.
Congrats to Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds.
"The mayor has always, I think, been very supportive of everything Christmas in Bethlehem," Claus said.
Volunteers in the community are also in Santa's good graces.
Among the organizations' volunteers called out: the Salvation Army's bell ringers, the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, Touchstone Theatre and ArtsQuest.
"I especially love the carolers from Touchstone who participate in the Live Advent calendar," Claus said.
Claus, an avid book reader, is a fan of the work done by the "unsung heroes" at the Bethlehem Area Public Library.
"The Bethlehem Area Library offers a lot of pro-fighting back about freedom of speech and expression, especially when folks are talking about the horrible books that are out there," Claus said. "And they offer a lot of programs for kids and all that stuff."
Checking it twice
The elves are not the only ones who jumped onto Santa's "check it twice" list.
Sure, the Hallmark Channel received praise from Kringle's for placinga live stream on Main Street and awarding it a "Hallmark Hometown," his belly shook (and not with laughter) when he found out the faith-based flick "Miracle in Bethlehem PA," was filmed in Winnipeg, Canada.
"The Hallmark Channel is definitely on the 'think twice' list," he said.
For now, Papa Noel has wrapped up his photo-ops in the city (sorry, kids!), but will still accept letters addressed to the North Pole before he and Rudolph begin their mad dash around the world on Christmas Eve.
"I plan on sleeping on Dec. 26 for the whole day. Then after my long winter's nap, we're back at it, so if you ever want to get away with anything Dec. 26 is the day to do it."
For info on Santa Claus, go to xmascitysanta.com
