MANILA, Philippines—In this enchanting cranny of Antipolo’s rolling hills, visitors are transported to a different time and place, where one becomes a child again, it is Christmas every day, and Santa Claus is, quite literally, everywhere.

Here at Casa Santa, nestled in the verdant landscape of Jardin de Miramar on San Jose Extension, stands a two-story museum built in honor of the jolly old man in red suit.

One finds in this charming house all manner of Santa Claus trinkets—figurines, toys, dolls and other items—from the personal collection of businesswoman Edna N. del Rosario that could be the largest of its kind in the country.

At latest count, there are 2,410 Santa Clauses here of virtually every shape and size, from meter-long figurines to centimeter-long ones.

There’s a dancing Santa in hip-hop attire, a Santa lying in bed with Mrs. Claus, a Santa with earphones sitting on the potty, a Santa waiter serving cola, an Eskimo (Inuit) Santa in snow clothes and a flying Santa on a parachute.

On the second floor, one can play chess on a board with Santa characters, from the kings and queens down to the rooks or, perhaps, a game of Tic-Tac-Toe with little Santas substituting for round stones.

That certain magic

And the centerpiece of Del Rosario’s collection: A Swarovski crystal Santa Claus riding his reindeer sleigh.

For Del Rosario, nothing feels like Christmas more than a smiling Santa, evoking memories of the little girl she once was who wished for this or that on chilly Dec. 25 mornings.

“Unlike other Christmas symbols, Santa inspires a different emotion,” she said. “With Nativity scenes, you feel somber because there’s a religious mood. But with Santa, you’re a child again.”

“When the kids come in, you can see their faces light up. They’re just awed by everything,” Del Rosario, who has no children of her own, said.

“There is a certain magic which Santa brings to everyone at any time of the year. It draws you back to childhood memories when you believed in Santa. It also brings nostalgia to people who once had a happy childhood.”

Searching for Santa

Del Rosario, president of Jardin de Miramar, a 3-hectare venue for parties and receptions, has traveled to more than 60 countries in search of Santa items.

“That’s the first thing I look for when I travel. My eyes just zoom in on anything Santa,” she said.

From her trips she usually returns home with a luggage full of Santa trinkets, especially from European countries like Germany. From her US jaunts, “I come back with balikbayan boxes full of Santa items.”

And when there’s no Santa symbol in the country she’s visiting, she tries to “translate the equivalent of Santa in their culture, especially in non-Christian countries like Burma, where you will not find a Christian Santa,” she said.

“There I was able to find Santa’s symbolism in their Heavenly Gods stitched and framed in red silk threads.”

Most expensive

But there’s at least one place where not even she could find a semblance of a Santa Claus: Antarctica. “But that’s understandable. There are only about 6,000 people there, and there wasn’t much to see except the ice and the penguins,” she said.

Her most expensive piece is the crystal Santa which she bought for P20,000. Her cheapest is worth “probably no more than P50.”

Casa Santa, although often advertised as open all year round, actually isn’t. It wasn’t even open on Christmas Day. “December really isn’t our busiest month. It’s November, when children and students are not busy preparing for Christmas,” she said.

Except on every first and third Saturday of the month, when guests can just walk in from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. upon paying a P100 entrance fee, everything is by appointment, Del Rosario said.

For private bookings, the entrance fee averages P180 per head for a 45-minute tour of the facility. “It’s up to them if they want to spend all their time at Casa Santa or explore the other parts of Jardin,” she said.

Kris Aquino an exception

Most of the guests are schoolchildren and teachers who come by the busloads.

Unlike at squeaky clean museums, the pieces at Casa Museum may be touched or played with, but within reasonable limits, she said, which is why once a year the house is closed for general cleaning, when the Santas are soaped, scrubbed and rinsed.

Del Rosario said she started work on the house 14 years ago when she had it rebuilt and renovated. For years, the interior design by the late artist Aleli Vengua was appreciated only by her friends and family.

It was only in 2004 when she opened it for public viewing as an extra source of revenue for her business, Del Rosario said.

Her Santas are not for sale, but recently she made an exception for one showbiz personality: Kris Aquino.

“There was this really pretty plastic bubble Santa that you blow up. Her magazine people wanted to feature it and when Kris saw it she said ‘I want to buy that.’ In exchange, I asked for a whole page ad instead of a half-page in her magazine,” she said.

“I got a good deal, considering that the ad probably saved me P30,000, and I bought the Santa for, I think, just $50,” Del Rosario said with a laugh.

Christmas without end

At 59, Del Rosario feels her pursuit is not over.

Despite her many travels, she has never stepped foot in the North Pole, where tales say Santa lives, or even in his supposed hometown: Rovaniemi, Finland.

She understands the amazement of children and even adults when they see her Santas. She can’t blame them.

“I’m already turning 60, but year after year, I’m still excited by Christmas,” she said.