February 2 is Groundhog’s Day in the United States and Canada! The tradition involves the adorable pudgy Groundhog emerging from its and HOPEFULLY NOT SEEING its shadow, since according to folklore, those in cold climates will be doomed to six weeks of winter. Who wants that?!
Groundhog’s Day dates back to the Germanic holiday Candlemas, which denotes the end of winter.
Groundhogs CAN predict the end of winter! Ok, that could be a stretch. The logic is that spring is around the corner if a Groundhog is inclined to come out of its hibernation burrow without immediately retreating back.
The 1993 movie Groundhog’s Day made the holiday widely popular. Tens of thousands of people across the United States participated in Groundhog’s Day festivities!
Come what may, an early spring or more wintry days and nights, the cute and pudgy Groundhog graces us with its presence and gives a spring of hope, although fleeting.
In the mid-20th century, American sports underwent a revolutionary transformation with the inception of the Super Bowl. The idea for this grand spectacle was conceived in the late 1950s when the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) were each vying for dominance. Seeking a way to settle the score and determine the true champion of professional football, the leagues’ commissioners — Lamar Hunt (AFL) and Pete Rozelle (NFL) — envisioned a championship game that would captivate the nation.
The first Super Bowl — then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game — took place on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers, representing the NFL, faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs from the AFL. The game marked a historic moment in sports history, as the two leagues officially merged into the NFL shortly after. The success of this inaugural championship laid the foundation for what would become an annual tradition, capturing the hearts of millions and evolving into a cultural phenomenon that extends beyond the realm of sports.
Over almost 60 years, the Super Bowl has transcended its sporting origins, becoming a platform for entertainment, advertising, and communal celebration. Football married with star-studded halftime performances and groundbreaking commercials have turned the Super Bowl into a must-watch event, attracting viewers from around the world. The Super Bowl stands as testament to the unifying force of sports in American culture.
We here at R.T. Clown celebrate the 58th Super Bowl next month, and we invite you to eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy! Hiring a magician to intrigue the adults or a bubble or puppet artist to keep the kids entertained while the grownups play — or any of our other entertainment from our 200+ performers — is a great way to make your Super Bowl party a grand hit! Call us! 310.376.2250. We’ll take the entertainment off your hands!
These days we may be able to send Santa our Christmas wish list by email or even tag him on social media, but a fun family project may be to write Santa a good, old-fashioned letter! Here are some options for where to drop that letter off to Santa. (Be sure to call before to confirm that Santa’s collection boxes are functional and ready to receive letters!)
Macy’s: Macy’s has forever provided special holiday forwarding services for letters to Santa via their beautiful red mail collection boxes at their stores. Be sure to take photos of this moment!
Theme Parks: Theme parks like Disneyland and Universal CityWalk often have special mailboxes where kids can drop their letters to Santa. You can make that part of an awesome day there too!
Malls, Shopping Centers, Specialty Shops, Toy Stores: Places like these make it convenient for kids to drop off their letters to get to Santa.
Public Libraries & Community Centers: Many of these places set up designated areas or mailboxes for Santa letters.
Santa’s Village or Winter Wonderland Attractions: Check for holiday events in your community, as they sometimes feature Santa-themed activities and collection boxes where kids can drop off their letters.
U.S. Postal Service: Of course! U.S.P.S. Operation Santa is over 100 years old! The exact steps to follow are at the USPS website (and naturally, a stamp is required). If your child sends a letter to Santa this way by December 10, there’s a good chance they’ll get a personalized response back from Santa himself! It will be postmarked from Santa’s helpers near Anchorage, Alaska (the closest place you can get to the North Pole in the U.S. Here’s the address:
Santa Claus 123 Elf Road North Pole, 88888
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland: This Village is super close to the North Pole and has a special post office that receives letters from children all over the world. The official address to send letters to Santa internationally is:
Santa Claus Santa Claus Main Post Office Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Arctic Circle Rovaniemi, Lapland, FINLAND
This Post Office in Rovaniemi is well-known for handling letters to Santa, and they often respond to many of the letters they receive if given a return address. Plus, letters sent from this address often receive a special Arctic Circle postmark! For extra fun, be sure to visit your local post office to get a special air mail postage stamp!
The whole family can enjoy this unique holiday tradition. For loving grownups who would like to help Santa with gift selection, wrapping and distribution, visit: www.uspsoperationsanta.com/letters
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