Santa and the case of the missing tree

Twas three days till holiday cheer ought to fill the homes of Montblanc villagers. Last year the holiday tree had mysteriously disappeared on Christmas Eve, leading to a long list of draconian restrictions: no early decorations, store music, or candy canes for sale.

They had engaged in a war on Christmas in an attempt to save it. The result was a lot of miserable villagers. It was cold, the days were short, and with no pretty lights twinkling, people started going to bed at 6pm every night.

Finally the storied night was upon them. Lethargic yet hopeful, the villagers awoke quietly and gathered in the town square. What they gazed upon was both shocking and comforting. Could it be?

There, under the town's scrawny Christmas tree, sat an enormous present. It was wrapped in shiny silver & red paper and tied with a flower-like bow. A tag hung from the bow that read, "To the people of Montblanc. From Santa."

The Montblanc villagers were curious as to what the present could be, & who could have given it to them. They opened the present and to their surprise it was actually a gigantic teddy bear with a note. The note read, "The one who finds Santa's true identity gets the teddy bear."