Santa Claus facts for kids
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, is a beloved figure linked to Christmas. He is often pictured as a big, cheerful man with a white beard, wearing a red suit with white trim. Many believe he lives at the North Pole with his wife, Mrs. Claus, and his helpful elves who build toys. His reindeer pull his sleigh through the sky.
Some stories say Father Christmas, especially in Nordic countries, lives in Lapland, Finland. But most people think his home is at the North Pole. Santa is famous for bringing gifts to good children around the world on Christmas Eve. He usually slides down chimneys or uses a special key to enter homes. His sleigh is pulled by his magical reindeer.
The idea of Santa Claus likely comes from old traditions in Europe and Christian culture. These include Saint Nicholas, a real person known for secret gift-giving, and the Dutch figure Sinterklaas. Santa is known by many names, like Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, and Santy.
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Where Does Santa Claus Live?
In some Nordic tales, Santa lives in a small hill called Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland. There's even a fun theme park nearby called Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.
The real Saint Nicholas, who inspired the Santa Claus story, lived a long time ago in the 4th century AD. He was known for secretly giving gifts, especially to people who were poor. For example, he would put coins in the shoes of those who left them out.
Most stories say Santa lives at the very top of the world, at the North Pole. He shares his home and workshop with Mrs. Claus, his elves, and his reindeer. Since his home is part of a legend, there isn't a real place on a map where you can find it.
Tracking Santa and Sending Emails
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For many years, different groups have made websites that claim to track Santa's journey. Some popular ones that are still around include NORAD Tracks Santa, the Santa Update Project, and the MSNBC and Bing Maps Platform Tracks Santa Project.
The NORAD Tracks Santa program started in the United States in 1955. A Sears store in Colorado Springs, Colorado printed a wrong phone number for kids to call Santa. Children accidentally called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) on Christmas Eve. Colonel Harry Shoup, who was in charge, answered the calls. He told the children that radar showed Santa heading south from the North Pole. This started a tradition. In 1958, the United States and Canada created the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), and the tradition continued as NORAD Tracks Santa. Today, you can track Santa online through NORAD's website.
In the past, many local TV stations in the United States and Canada also said they tracked Santa using their weather experts. In 2000, The Weather Channel started a national Santa tracking effort called SantaWatch. Now, most local TV stations use well-known tracking programs like NORAD Tracks Santa.
Many other websites are available all year round, focusing on Santa and his workshop activities. A lot of these sites let children send emails to Santa. Most of these emails are answered by real people who volunteer as "elves." However, some websites have used computer programs called "bots" to send replies. One popular website, emailSanta.com, was created in 1997 when a postal strike stopped kids from sending letters to Santa. Now, it gets about 1 million emails each year!
These "Santa tracking" websites are not just fun. They also help kids learn about space technology and exploration. They can also teach children about geography and get them interested in science.
Santa Claus in Popular Culture
Today, many stories and cartoons show Santa's home as a super modern factory. It's often shown with the latest technology, where elves work on assembly lines to make toys. Santa and Mrs. Claus are often seen as the managers or leaders of this busy operation.
One article described Santa's main toy factory as a huge building, one of the biggest in the world. It uses advanced computer systems to manage everything, from putting toys away to loading them onto sleighs. The elves are very productive, and the whole system helps Santa deliver gifts around the world as efficiently as possible.
Many famous actors have voiced Santa in cartoons, including Ed Asner, Mickey Rooney, and John Goodman.
Santa is seen as a very positive figure. Television producer Jonathan Meath, who plays Santa, said in 2011:
Santa is really the only cultural icon we have who's male, does not carry a gun, and is all about peace, joy, giving, and caring for other people. That's part of the magic for me, especially in a culture where we've become so commercialized and hooked into manufactured icons. Santa is much more organic, integral, connected to the past, and therefore connected to the future.
In Kyrgyzstan, a mountain peak was even named after Santa! This happened after a Swedish company suggested it would be a better starting point for Santa's gift deliveries than Lapland. In 2007, a Santa Claus Festival was held in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek. The year 2008 was even called the "Year of Santa Claus" in the country. These events are meant to help bring more tourists to Kyrgyzstan.
The Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Santa Clauses was set in Thrissur, Kerala, India. On December 27, 2014, 18,112 Santas gathered there! This beat the previous record of 12,965 Santas in Derry City, Northern Ireland, set in 2007.
Images for kids
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A 13th-century picture of St. Nicholas from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai
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The "Ghost of Christmas Present" from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843)
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Sinterklaas in the Netherlands (2009) on his horse Amerigo
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An 1850 drawing of Saint Nicolas with his helper Père Fouettard/Zwarte Piet
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An 1886 picture of the long-bearded Norse god Odin
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An illustration for the poem Old Santeclaus with Much Delight
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An 1881 drawing by Thomas Nast that helped create the modern image of Santa Claus.
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A man dressed as Santa Claus fundraising in Chicago, Illinois, in 1902.
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Rose O'Neill's drawing for Puck magazine in 1903
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Santa Claus played by Nick Tribuzio in 1961
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The Feast of Saint Nicholas by Jan Steen (around 1665–1668)
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A man dressed as Santa Claus waving to children from a holiday train in Chicago, 2012.
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Children hanging up stockings for Santa Claus in Ohio, 1928
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The Santa Claus Village in Lapland
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Santa's House in Jerusalem Old City
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Eaton's Santa Claus Parade, 1918, Toronto, Canada.
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A picture of Santa Claus in Italy.
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From Josiah King's The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas (1686)
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See also
In Spanish: Papá Noel para niños
