• The legendary character of Santa Claus is known for bringing smiles to children's faces during the Christmas holiday season with his jolly laugh and generosity. The modern depiction of Santa Claus is that of a fat, jolly man wearing a red coat and trousers with white cuffs and collar and black leather belt and boots.

• Fast Facts

  1. Based on the legendary Saint Nicholas
  2. Born in 280 A.D.History.com: The History of Santa Claus
  3. Introduced to American culture in 1773History.com: The History of Santa Claus
  4. Santa has 31 hours to deliver gifts all over the world based on the Earth's rotationMSN: The True Story of Santa
  5. Is said to reward good children with gifts and punish bad children with lumps of coalReligious Tolerance: All About Santa Claus

• Around the World with Santa Claus

  Santa Claus is known by many different names all over the world:

  • Greece: Hagios Nikolaos
  • The Netherlands: Sinter Klaas
  • Italy: Babbo Natale
  • Spain: Papa Noel
  • Morocco: Black Peter
  • France: Pere Noel
  • Norway: Pa Norsk
  • Japan: Santa no ojisan
  • Russia: Grandfather Frost
  • China: Shengdan LaorenLonestar: Santa FAQs

• Legend

  1. Modern legend says that Santa lives in the far north in a land of perpetual snow
     1. American Santa Claus resides at the North Pole
     2. Father Christmas resides in FinlandWhy Christmas?: Christmas in Finland
  2. Santa is married to Mrs. Claus
  3. Santa makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior
     1. Presents, including toys and candy, are delivered to all of the good boys and girls
     2. Coal or sticks are delivered to the naughty children
     3. Delivery is made in one night with the assistance of magical elves who make the toys, and nine flying reindeer who pull his sleigh

• Controversy

  There have been groups opposed to teaching children to believe in Santa Claus. Some of these groups objections are:

  1. The tradition of Santa detracts from the religious origins and meaning of Christmas.Bible.org: Should Christians Celebrate Christmas>
  2. Santa Claus is an elaborate lie, so it is unethical for parents to teach their children to believe in his existence.Religious Tolerance: All About Santa Claus
  3. Santa is often viewed as a symbol of the commercialization of Christmas.Study English: The Story of Santa Claus

• Related Mahalo Pages

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