‘He’s back. Santa’s back:’ Stolen decoration returned two days later and he has seen some things

“Roast to the kidnappers who stole our Santa. Toast to those same kidnappers who had a change of heart, and brought him home.”

Those were the words Lindsey Reimer posted on the Calgary Roast and Toast Facebook page with two photos of Santa, a cigarette in his mouth and alcoholic seltzer in his hand.

“Roast to whatever went on while he was held hostage. Apparently, he’s seen some stuff, and he’s coping the best he can,” Reimer jokes.

The abduction

It all started last Sunday when Reimer’s husband put up the Christmas decorations in the front yard of their Capitol Hill home, perhaps placing the two-and-a-half-foot Santa a little too close to the main sidewalk.

“I said to him immediately, “Someone’s going to take that,” because it was so accessible to anyone who walked by,” Reimer told Calgary Citizen.

“Sure enough, the very next morning it was already gone. I didn’t say I told you so, but you know.”

Reimer posted about the holiday theft on local community pages to see if anyone saw anything, but the couple figured they saw the last of Santa, chalking it up to a minor loss.

Santa has seen some things

The couple did see Santa again though, just not in the same condition. On Wednesday, Reimer’s husband was walking out the front door to walk their dog when he yelled.

“‘He’s back,’ he yelled. I’m like, ‘Who’s back?’ He’s like, “Santa’s back.’”

There was Santa, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth a hard seltzer taped to his hand.

“We were a little concerned about whatever happened while he was being held hostage because he was clearly coping poorly with a smoking and drinking habit,” Reimer jokes.

“It looks like he has seen some things.”

That’s when Reimer took to the Calgary Roast and Toast Facebook page, roasting the kidnappers for taking him and toasting them for bringing him back, albeit in rough shape.

A funny Christmas story for years to come

When Santa first went missing, Reimer admits it was a bit of an annoyance but considering all of the other things happening in the world, they just chalked it up to a small loss.

“We weren’t super devastated about missing Santa Claus. But when he came back on Wednesday morning, it was 100 per cent worth it just for the laugh,” Reimer says, adding people in the Facebook group also found the kidnapping entertaining.

“Everyone is enjoying it… I thought people would get a kick out of it. It lightens the mood.”

Santa has been returned to the front yard, though a little closer to their front door. Does he still have a smoking and drinking habit?

“We definitely dismantled all his addictions before we put him back out,” Reimer laughs.

“I don’t know if that was the plan from the start or they had a change of heart. But we were just happy to have him back and it makes a funny story to tell at Christmas.”