How many Santas is too many Santas? A Maryland collector can’t say

How many Santa figurines fill the home of a Maryland woman known as “Christmas Carol”?

“I always believe in honesty. Gazillion and one,” she said.

Santa figurine collector Carol Trawick’s Bethesda home is crowded with Santas from every era, from around the world. She gave News4 a look and explained why her collection brings her joy year-round.

“To me, Santa is an American icon. He belongs to all of us and reminds us that in our hearts, we want to be giving people. We want to be nurturing people. And that’s his gift,” she said.

Christmas Carol began collecting in college, when her mother gave her her first Santa figurine.

“All collectors, no matter what they collect and cherish, it’s a passion, and it just grows, and it never stops, and you share that energy of that passion,” she said.

So, which Santa is her favorite?

“The one I’m holding,” she replied.

Does she have enough Santas?

“I have to stop, but I still find things that I can’t resist,” she said.

What’s Christmas Carol’s advice?

“We all need to preserve that child within us. We’ve got serious stuff going on. We’ve got serious problems that we have to overcome. But the magnificence is that we are strengthened by letting that joy of the child in us,” she said.

“Squeeze the joy out of every moment,” she added. “And if Santa helps you smile, so be it.”

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump take calls from kids about Santa.