Ten More Facts You Should Know About Santa

Ten More Facts You Should Know About Santa

Edwin Osgood Grover said, “Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy.” That is definitely a new definition of the traditional white-bearded Santa in a red suit and a hoarse laugh. Santa remains the most iconic character about Christmas and a symbol of our love and generosity as humanity which is why he remains so popular centuries later. While our previous Santa facts solved some of his mysteries there is still a lot of questions surrounding Santa starting from the name to the attire he wears which is why we compiled these 10 little known facts about him.

Santa School Does Exist

Do you ever wonder how every mall around your city get a jolly gentleman to be their Santa? Well, that guy could just be the latest graduate from Santa University. Different countries including the US, the UK, Sweden and Germany have centres where helpers of Saint Nicolas are trained and they have to attend classes before being certified to give everyone a smile in the mall. In the US, Santa University is located in Arvada, Colorado. Now they may not all be called Santa university but at least this one is.

Shortage Of Santa Is Real In Some Places

Stephen Arnold, the president of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas made news recently when he said that the US was suffering from a shortage of Santas and miss Clauses. The problem is partly related to the Covid 19 pandemic which put most Santas in the high-risk brackets. The company that distributes Santas known as Hire Santa also said that there is a higher demand for Santa than supply thanks to many people having high hopes of a better Christmas after lifting of Covid restrictions. The shortage has also been reported in other places in Europe. You should therefore be grateful for your local Santa or miss Claus.

The Dutch Get the Credit for Naming Santa

It is hard for some to comprehend how Saint Nicholas turned into Santa Claus before it became just Santa for many. It all goes back to the 1800s when Dutch immigrants to the US brought Santa Klaas with them. Newspapers started publishing meetings where the immigrants met to commemorate the death of St. Nicholas on December 6. Santa Klaas which is the Dutch short form for Nicholas soon became popular when the New-York Historical Society distributed woodcuts of Saint Nicholas while Washington Irvin described him as the patron saint of New York.

Ten More Facts You Should Know About Santa

His Image Was Popularized By A Poem

Clement Clarke Moore’s 1822 poem ‘Twas Night Before Christmas has shaped Christmas holidays more than any piece of writing. In the power, the Episcopal minister described Santa as a ‘jolly old elf’ with the supernatural powers to ascend chimneys with the nod of his head. The poem didn’t include the red suit and the white beard though since that only came in the 1880s.

Coca Cola Has Nothing To Do With Santa’s Red Colors

In 1931, Coca Cola employed the Swedish-American artist Haddon Sundblom to draw them a picture of Santa for their adverts. They were capitalizing on the Christmas season to make more sales using Santa’s jolly face and laugh as well as scarlet colours. The first image of Santa with scarlet colours can be traced back to Thomas Nast in 1881 when he drew a picture of Santa in scarlet colours based on Clement Moore’s poem. Coca Cola’s 1931 adverts have made scarlet Santa more popular over the years though.

All Letters To Santa End Up In The Same Post Office

The Santa Claus Post Office in Indiana has been the subject of many controversial changes in the US postal services but it has since been accepted thanks to the creation of the non-profit organization Santa’s Elves. It all started in 1914 when the postmaster at the poster started replying to children’s letters sent there during the holidays. The post office started receiving thousands of letters every Christmas from all over the country and the frenzy caused concern with USPS. The post office now receives lots of letters which are then replied to by volunteers.

The Puritans Didn’t Like Santa

Growing up, most people have been given the image of Santa as the ultimate portrayal of love which is why everyone loves Santa. Those that don’t have a Santa pray to get one every Christmas and that jolly old man is just awesome. The Puritans looked at Christmas and Santa as pagan practices picked up by Americans from the English and Germans. People who observed Christmas were actually fined at some point in Massachusetts. After the publishing of the poem Twas Night Before Christmas, the Puritans dismissed Santa as another image of the anti-Christ.

Ten More Facts You Should Know About Santa

The Actual Santa Delivered Real Gold

The main reason why Santa became so popular in the world is that he was associated with generosity and protecting children. That is because the actual Saint Nicholas who lived in modern-day Turkey actually protected children. He is said to have dropped pouches of gold through the windows of families that had girls so that their parents could pay dowry and get them married legally rather than be sold into slavery.

Mrs Claus May Not Have Existed

In 1849, the missionary, James Rees wrote a short story called A Christmas Legend talking about an old couple visiting a family in disguise on Christmas eve. The Couple wasn’t actually the Clauses but many people took it to suggest that the fourth-century bishop may have had a wife. Poems and stories soon picked up the image of a married Santa and now Mrs Claus is just as famous as her husband.

He Has A Pilot’s License

Canada became famous for issuing Santa Claus and his wife MRS. Claus with an official passport. Many countries argue that Canada is not far enough North to be Santa’s home though. In 1927, the US issued Santa with a pilot’s license and a map of the airways so that he doesn’t bump into planes while flying around to deliver gifts.

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