We all know, since childhood, that Santa Claus lives at the North pole, where he keeps a toy manufacturing operation ecologically correct – at least no one has heard about environmental problems caused by Santa’s plant.

We all also know that Christmas has a special magic power, renovating feelings of fraternity and hope. And that this magic causes blinking lights, trees, garlands and other types of decoration gain position in homes, offices and plazas, what, in a nutshell, may be interpreted as a public manifestation of joy of each one of us for the arrival of one more Christmas.

What few perceive, however, is the presence of a secular, but always young, lady, without whose contribution the feast of Christmas would never be the same. Yeah, without Chemistry, a science that was born centuries ago, but in constant renovation, Christmas would be very different. Starting by the production of toys. Would Santa Claus have enough toys and in many different qualities, if Chemistry had not developed products such as nylon, polystyrene and polypropylene, to give only three examples? And the decoration? Just imagine every one cutting out a tree, like in the past, as a symbol of mankind renovation. One of the two things would happen: either we would have been living in a desert for a long time or the trees would have become so expensive as to become a luxury item. Chemistry avoided this risk, by giving us the possibility of producing artificial trees.

Just look around. In practically all items that make up the joy of Christmas Chemistry is present. However, the most important Chemistry of Christmas will always be the union of all peoples enabling us to look to the future with trust. This is Chemistry that the chemical industry hopes and wishes will always be in all homes and hearts, independently of being or not being Christmas.

Text: Luiz Carlos de Medeiros (Mtb 12.293) English version by Joe Vianna (translat@mvpisp.com)