by Jamie Belnap

STAFF WRITER

Santa sightings are up this time of year, but, as with Elvis in Vegas, there are more than a few impostors about as well.

In fact, I think I saw Santa's 19-year-old kid brother in Wal-Mart a few days ago dressed up just like him. He couldn't fool the kids though. I watched a mother try to coax her young son to climb up on Teen Santa's lap and whisper a wish list into the jolly young elf's ear. The boy, though curious, was probably a little wary of Santa's slouch and acne, and opted out instead.

And then there's the horror-film version of Santa who rode through Grantsville during the town's Christmas parade last weekend. Seeing him out and about was probably enough to make any kid slide the couch in front of the fireplace, hoping to keep Santa out of their living room this Christmas Eve.

No matter what version of Santa you see this holiday season -- fat, thin, tall, short -- chances are you'll see plenty of the man in red. He's become one of the most recognized Christmas icons. But what bothers me most is the growing size of the big red velvet bag over his shoulder. Pretty soon he'll have to recruit help from the elves back at the workshop to build a bigger sleigh that has a higher weight capacity and tell Rudolph and his friends to hit the gym.

Commercialism seems to be the driving force of Christmas. Why else would thousands of people pile up in front of a store before dawn in an attempt to be the first to get their hands on a banana chair featuring its own set of speakers?

Some of the hot items that probably disappeared in a hurry at this past weekend's megasales appear to be electronic -- iPods, portable DVD players, Guitar Hero. It's mostly parents scooting down store aisles throwing these items into carts, but it's kids who are the intentional users of these devices. It's a chain-reaction process. Advertising sways kids, kids sway parents, parents set their alarms and don some athletic shoes for a riotous day of shopping.

Children's programming on TV is thick with could-be-on-your-wish-list toys and games. And as if that's not enough, I've seen one particular store come out with a 'big book' of colorful images to entice any child and advertise it as a possible bedtime story. That should provide some sugar-plum-coated dreams to say the least. Wal-Mart even offers consumers the opportunity to create a wish-list online and e-mail it to family members, acquaintances and maybe even Santa. I guess today's Santa would have to be and e-mail savvy fellow, wouldn't he?

Back before iPods and MP3 players, the Christmas rush still existed I'm sure. Archived editions of the Transcript-Bulletin are loaded with two-page spreads advertising trendy new dresses, toys and other gizmos.

As commercialism weighs down Santa's bag more and more, the reason why Christmas celebrations exist in the first place is disappearing. It happens even in remote places on the other side of the world. In Thailand, Songkran -- a New Year's celebration -- originally had a lot of religious meaning. Now however, most just recognize it as a countrywide water fight. Same holds true for the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona or Boxing Day in London.

The solution is personal. True Christmas spirit can be found in places other than Wal-Mart. It's in your thoughts, attitude and your heart.

jamieb@tooeletranscript.com