Dear Santa (2024) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Liam mistakenly writes 'Satan' instead of 'Santa' on his Christmas wish list due to his dyslexia. The letter gets delivered to the actual Satan, who shows up in Liam's bedroom. Satan poses as Santa Claus initially, but Liam eventually realizes who he really is.

Foreshadowing: Liam's dyslexia was established earlier in the film, making the spelling error believable and plot-defining.

• misspelled letter
• satan
• typo
• letters to santa
• mistake

Satan offers Liam three wishes in exchange for his soul. The rules aren't fully explained initially, but it becomes clear that Liam's soul is claimed when he dies. However, if Liam makes wishes that benefit others rather than himself, the contract becomes void because it violates the terms of a selfish deal.

• three wishes
• soul contract
• devil deal
• wish rules

Satan is revealed to be a half-demon on trial in Hell. When he grants two of Liam's wishes that are unselfish (wishing for help with Gibby and for his parents to stay together), he invalidates the contract for Liam's soul. This angers Lucifer, who voids the deal entirely and banishes Satan for failing to collect a soul.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes Satan as being on trial, hinting at consequences for his actions.

• satan banished
• lucifer
• hell
• half-demon
• trial

Liam makes his third wish to keep his parents together forever because he believes his soul will be taken and his parents will separate. However, Satan reveals that Liam's parents were already reconciling on their own. Instead of claiming the wish's power, Satan simply makes a wish from Liam's original letter come true.

Foreshadowing: Liam's parents are shown having a heartfelt conversation and working through their grief together earlier in the film.

• final wish
• parents reconcile
• unnecessary wish
• family healing

Satan tells Liam that instead of the final wish keeping his parents together, he made a wish from Liam's original letter come true. This implies that Liam's original Christmas wish (before it was misaddressed to Satan) was for his brother Spencer to return, which is what actually happens on Christmas morning when Spencer is resurrected.

Foreshadowing: Liam's grief over his brother's death and the broken family dynamic are central to the story's emotional core.

• spencer resurrected
• brother returns
• christmas miracle
• resurrection

Liam notices that Gibby is upset and feeling left out after the concert. Rather than using the wish for himself, Liam selflessly wishes to fix Gibby's overbite so he can feel confident. This unselfish act is what ultimately helps void the soul contract.

Foreshadowing: Gibby leaves the concert early feeling overshadowed, showing his insecurity about his appearance.

• second wish
• gibby overbite
• selfless wish
• friendship

After Liam makes his third wish and believes his soul is condemned, he starts standing up to his school tormentors. However, in doing so, he pushes Emma away and she becomes upset with him. His change in behavior and the chaos surrounding their relationship causes tension.

• emma
• liam conflict
• school bullies
• relationship tension

After being banished from Hell, Satan visits Liam one last time to say goodbye. He tells Liam that he genuinely liked him and that Liam's final wish was unnecessary because his parents were already reconciling. Satan then presumably leaves, having lost his position in Hell.

• satan goodbye
• satan fate
• devil leaves
• last meeting

Liam's parents, Bill and Molly, are struggling with marital issues after losing their older son Spencer. During the film, they finally confront their grief together and begin to patch things up. Their heartfelt conversation happens while Liam is locked in his room, leading to their reconciliation before Liam's final wish.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes their fractured relationship early on as a source of family tension.

• parents reconcile
• bill molly
• marriage
• family healing

Gibby feels overshadowed by Liam's sudden popularity and success with Emma. While Liam enjoys being on stage with Post Malone and kissing Emma, Gibby feels left out and sad, so he leaves the concert early. This moment leads to Liam using his second wish to help Gibby.

Foreshadowing: Gibby's insecurity about fitting in and being accepted was established when Liam was embarrassed to introduce him to his parents.

• gibby concert
• feeling left out
• friend conflict
• popularity