Santa has been with us for hundreds of years, but has not one extra wrinkle on his face.

He loves kids and loves his reindeer, which makes him special. He's industrious. There at the North Pole, it is said that he and his elves work tirelessly to fulfill children's Christmas wishes.

Santa Claus symbolizes the holiday season like nothing else. The Christmas tree is a symbol of the season, but Santa Claus personifies the season in a way that trees cannot.

His image is not related to any church or country, so he can cross cultural and religious lines. It places him in a unique position for the entire season rather than for Christmas alone.

He's not just for kids. Adults enjoy his red-suited presence in stores, and his image on Christmas cards and in decorations. His is a sweet, loving image in a world where those qualities are sometimes hard to find.

Christmas grouches say the Santa is a lie that should not be told to children. But young ones add a few years of knowledge and intuition, they know the gifts are from Mom and Dad.

At this point, wise parents explain that Santa symbolizes the spirit of good will and giving at holiday time.

If history is a reliable predictor, Santa will be alive for centuries to come.

Setting the stage for an event is a project. When it comes to Christmas, the stage can be a huge task with decorations on the roof, strung on trees, and set up throughout the house.

Crawling on the roof, placing the star atop the Christmas tree and lighting the house with candles are dangerous activities. They send about 12,500 people to the emergency room every year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends:

Trees: When buying an artificial tree, look for the "Fire Resistant" label. For a fresh tree, find one on which it's not easy to pull needles from a branch. Keep the stand basin filled with water. Christmas trees are involved in some 300 fires each year.

Lights: Buy light strings that are approved by a testing laboratory. Check last year's strings for broken sockets or wires. Toss any that are damaged. Replace a burned-out light with one of equal wattage. Don't use any lights on a metallic tree because of shock danger.

Electrical connections: Use a power strip to connect several power cords inside the house. It will turn off instead of blowing a breaker if there is a power overload, because it has a circuit breaker. It's also easier to turn off several strings at once.

Outdoor connections: They should be plugged into circuits protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter. Portable GFCIs can be purchased, or they can be installed permanently to household circuits by an electrician.

Candles: They start about 11,600 fires a year and cause 150 deaths and 1,200 injuries. Always keep burning candles in sight. Put them out if you move to another room or go to bed.

Decorations: Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. In homes with small children, avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable. Don't use any that look like candy or food.

Fireplaces: "Fire salts" produce colored flames when thrown on a wood fire, but they contain heavy metals that can cause gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting. Keep them away from children. Never burn wrapping papers in a fireplace. They can cause a flash fire and burn intensely.