Who we are:
Hi, I’m Tristan Burrington, the creator of Box of Santa Stories.
For a long time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. I moved from job to job, searching for work that felt meaningful, something that fit who I was becoming.
Then, almost by accident, I was offered a job as a chimney sweep.
It wasn’t a childhood dream. But I took a leap of faith, learned the trade, and something unexpected happened; I found purpose in the work. For the past 13 years, I’ve climbed rooftops, swept dirty flues, and restored chimneys across Southeastern Pennsylvania. I’ve worked on 200-year-old stone chimneys, rebuilt and relined 100-year-old brick structures, and even installed modern factory-built fireplaces for today’s homes.
Over time, the work taught me more than just a trade.
It taught me patience. Responsibility. Quiet pride.
And it gave me a front row seat to thousands of homes and families needing a warm hearth, especially during the Winter season.
In 2023, something shifted.
I began noticing how often my work was mentioned around the client’s most meaningful moments. You know, A warm fireplace, homes filled with anticipation during the holidays, children’s patience, and families gathering around the woodstove. The symbolism of the job wasn’t lost on me. Chimneys, rooftops, winter, warm service; it all pointed to something deeper.
My 2023 self-reflection became the spark for this creation, Box of Santa Stories.
This project began as a way to capture the feeling I kept seeing and so wanted to spread; there is belief, real hope, and actual magic that still exists in the world, especially around Christmas. Through stories, images, words, and seasonal tales, I explore what I believe Santa should represent: generosity, adopting responsibility, having faith, second chances, and all of the unseen work that goes into caring for others.
These stories travel across time, places, and people. Obviously, this is a compilation of mostly fiction, but there are many snapshots of truth hidden in the snowy rooftops, North Pole workshop, and all the way to warm living rooms. They are rooted in something real: the idea that Christmas is more than presents and gifts.
It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about spreading encouragement, but each one of us out there has a special gift. Most of us are too scared to share it, to work on it, or even find out what that gift is.
Box of Santa Stories is not about pretending.
It’s about remembering.
Remembering who we were when wonder came easily.
Remembering that our stories can help each other
Remembering that belief, once chosen, can change the way we live.
Welcome to Box of Santa Stories.
If you’re here, you’re already part of my journey.
“I realized that our stories, however flawed or messy, have the power to connect us. They remind us that we are not alone in our struggles. They offer hope, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. And in sharing them, we find our voice, our purpose.”
The words, clumsy at first, began to flow. Stories tumbled out, each one a step closer to rediscovering that forgotten part of myself. These stories were about kids, good kids, kids on the Nice List.
The truth is, every child out there, every single one of them, they all have greatness in them.
I was learning that each child had a special gift. One that needed to be nurtured and rewarded.
