Dear Ernest,
I know that Santa's favorite holiday is Christmas. What other holidays does he celebrate?
Jose M. Lima, Peru

Actually, Jose, Santa's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.

But Santa is a lover of all holidays. And he celebrates holidays that most people don't even keep on their calendars.

Remember, Santa "works" only one day a year. That leaves him a lot of time to celebrate.

Santa is also a traveler, a student of history and an explorer of cultures. Every day has some sort of significance to Santa because somewhere in the world the day has been set aside for something special.

As a means to help those of us working here at the North Pole to know and understand these days, Santa makes sure to teach us during the morning announcement to the crew about why the day is unique. It's a great thing because it brings us closer to the people who participate in Operation Merry Christmas each year.

But as I said, it's Thanksgiving that Santa loves most. Santa says that every culture has a day or longer set aside for the giving of thanks. He calls gratitude the great leveler between cultures because all recognize a Greater Power in providing the bounties of life they enjoy.