So, this will be a christmas special. It will be short but daily updates - unless I die before christmas.

Thanks to Wolfergirl, my awesome mushroom who corrected this :)

Before I forget: I don't own OUAT - yet - muahahahahahahahaha :P

M.

Mary Margaret passed by the kitchen when she saw her grandson staring at a white piece of paper. His head rested on his bent arms and he looked lost. It confused her because she hadn't given them any homework lately. "What are you doing, Henry?"

"I'm trying to write a letter to Santa," the boy replied. "I just don't know what I want." He looked at Mary Margaret. "Did you have Christmas?"

"Back at the Enchanted Forest?" Mary Margaret asked. Henry nodded. "Of course we did. But it was slightly different."

"Can you tell me about it?" Henry asked excitedly, accidentally dropping the pencil.

She sat in front of him. "Well, for starters, we didn't have Christmas per se," Mary Margaret started talking, "We celebrated the Winter Solstice, but I guess it would be the corresponding holiday to Christmas," the teacher shrugged.

She never really thought about it. Before the curse was broken they celebrated Christmas because it was the 'normal' thing to do in this new world, and after the curse had been broken, everyone had been so busy that she didn't really have time to remember about their traditions at the Enchanted Forrest. The brunette returned her attention to Henry and with a smile, she explained what did the Winter Solstice celebrations meant for the people in back in their land.

"Everything is about union and community. It was the time of the year when everyone was family, our dining hall would be open and everyone could eat with us."

Henry rested his arms on the table and laid his head on top of them. Amazed, he continued listening to his grandmother's Winter Solstice stories. It was indeed a fairy tale-like holiday, and he could never imagine something like that happening in Storybrooke.

"And in the main square, in front of our palace, they always put a huge tree. Every person had the right to put one ornament on it because it belonged to everyone. Everyone could have a little bit of magic."

"Who put the star on the top of the tree? You?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "That was the Blue Fairy's job." Her mind travelled to a faraway land, as she delved deeper into the memories. "When everyone had put their ornaments on the branches, she'd fly to the top and wave her wand, and then the tree would light up and shine like the brightest stars."

"Did you also write to Santa Claus?"

"We wrote to Saint Nicholas instead," the woman replied shaking her head

"Saint Nicholas?" the kid asked, interested on the character.

"Yes, he is a folk saint that lived in another world and had the power to travel across the realms," Mary Margaret remembered the first time she had heard about Saint Nicholas's story, "He'd grant a wish to every single kid on the day of the Winter Solstice, it was the only magic that never came at a price,"

"So, he was like a wizard?"

"More or less," Mary Margaret replied. "Those who have seen him say that he's a spirit, his colour varying from silver to blue,"

The interest on Henry's eyes only reminded her of her own fascination when she was about his age. She remembered when she used to be a little girl, when the excitement of writing and sending the letter to Saint Nicholas each holiday was the best bit of the whole year. She'd dream of Christmas through each season, and it was definitely her favourite time of the year.

"I'm guessing you didn't ask for a new pony or a doll?" It was more a statement than a question.

Mary Margaret shook her head. No one in the Enchanted Forest ever asked for an actual possession. Christmas wishes were more meaningful that a simple toy. They had the power to do much more than deliver ponies or soldiers to the girls and boys.

"No, we asked for the things that mattered to us: health, love, happiness."

Henry stared at the wall, but Mary Margaret knew that his thoughts were focussed elsewhere. "Did your wishes ever come true?" he asked.

Mary Margaret nodded. "Saint Nicholas never let me down."

A/N: (yes, this is me bothering you again)

I referred to Saint Nicholas as a Folk Saint to make it more Enchanted-Forrest-like and less Planet-Earth-like, since we all know that there's no Christianity in the Enchanted Forrest and therefore, as Meresger pointed out, there can't be a Saint Nicholas.
So I did some research - thank God for Wikipedia - I came across the term Folk Saint.

The article says more or less the following:
Folk saints are dead people or other spiritually powerful entities (such as indigenous spirits) venerated as saints but not officially canonised (declared as a Saint by the Catholic Church). Frequently, their actions in life, as well as in death, distinguish folk saints from their canonised counterparts: official doctrine would consider many of them sinners and false idols. Their ranks are filled by folk healers, indigenous spirits, and folk heroes.