Accidentally (thrown off by impact, or bleeding), or as an emergency thrust boost, or shield, or remote effector etc.
Picking them up should also be a thing, e.g.:
just resources/rewards
if Santa used it as shield: not just slowing, but completely halting -- attracting very strongly -- some types of NPC opponents (e.g. child-like figures, like Cherubim (helper NPCs of Catholic gods), but not Cupids. :) )
Accidentally (thrown off by impact, or bleeding), or as an emergency thrust boost, or shield, or remote effector etc.
Picking them up should also be a thing, e.g.: