The arrival of a jolly old man is big part of Christmas for children. Little ones will leave cookies by the fireplace and perhaps even sprinkle some reindeer food across the front lawn. And best of all, they will come up with a few special gifts they hope will be delivered for them, wrapped up in a beautiful bow under the Christmas tree. Curious little ones always have a million questions about the special visitor behind all of the holiday magic. Here is a list of facts about Santa Claus to share with inquisitive children.
Everything Kids Want to Know About Santa Claus
Children want to know everything about the life of Santa Claus, like about where he lives, whether he has children, and how he spends his time during the rest of the year when he's not busy delivering Christmas presents. The inquiries begin from the time toddlers are introduced to Santa Claus in stories. Parents can be caught off-guard with the bombardment of inquiries from little ones eager to learn everything possible about the mysterious stranger who slides down chimneys around the world. Continue reading to find answers to questions kids ask about Santa Claus.
Santa Claus Does Not Have Children
Santa is famous for delivering presents to children everywhere, but he isn't usually depicted as having his own biological kids. Instead, his family typically includes Mrs. Claus and the elves who help him.
Santa and Mrs. Claus never had kids.
Santa is married to Mrs. Claus and they have lived together happily for hundreds of years in the North Pole. The generous couple devotes all of their time to children all over the world, working hard to make sure each and every one has a very special Christmas. This does not leave them any time to care for their own offspring. Fortunately, they are always surrounded by a biggroup of energetic elves who keep them entertained and fill their home with lots of laughter.
Reindeer are their surrogate children.
Teaching toddlers the names of all the reindeer can be tough, but singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the way most little ones learn. Their names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and last but not least, Rudolph. These frisky animals keeps the Claus's busy all year long, so they wouldn't have time to care for their own kids anyway!
What Santa Eats Depends on the Country
Santa definitely doesn't have the same snack spread in every country! While leaving out a treat for him is a global tradition, what he gets to munch on changes a lot based on local tastes and cultures.
Santa's favorite snack is cookies and milk in the US.
It's no wonder Santa Claus has such a big belly. With kids all over the world leaving out a plate of cookies on Christmas Eve, Santa is tempted to eat them all. Sometimes he gobbles up every one, leaving just a few crumbs on the plate. But if he has had his fill, he may only take a nibble. Toddlers will kick a good giggle out of seeing just a bite out of a cookie, which probably means Santa has been to thousands of homes already.
He is served adult beverages in other countries.
When Santa visits children in the United Kingdom, he is often served mince pie with a glass of sherry. His rounds in Ireland are fueled by a heft serving of pudding and tall, cold glass of Guinness. A pit stop in Chile is well worth lots of fruitcake flavored with rum. The folks in Sweden keep him caffeinated with coffee, France keeps his belly full with biscuits, and Ireland is generous with the beer.
Santa Claus Has a lot of Different Names
Santa Claus goes by many names across the globe! While that cheerful, red-suited image is pretty universal, his actual name—and even some of his traits—change quite a bit, depending on a country's unique holiday traditions and folklore.
He is sometimes referred to as Kris Kringle.
The overwhelmingly popular name for the jolly fellow in the United States is Santa Claus. Although you will sometimes hear people refer to him as Kris Kringle as well. Even though the man is one and the same around the world, his namesake varies depending on the region or country.
Europeans call him a variety of names.
For instance, in the United Kingdom, the folks refer to him as Father Christmas. In Germany, the term Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man) is most common. The French people call him Père Noël, which means Papa Noel. People in Poland consistently call the fellow St. Nicholas, or Święty Mikołaj.
Santa Has Not Always Worn Red Clothing
Santa hasn't always sported his famous red suit! The iconic red and white, fur-trimmed outfit we know today is actually a more recent look, evolving from various influences over time. While colors like red and white have historical ties, notably through Saint Nicholas and the illustrations of Thomas Nast, they weren't always Santa's only pick.
A variety of robe colors are worn by St. Nicholas.
Santa Claus's favorite color has not always been red. Throughout history, he has been seen wearing suits in a wide variety of colors like tan, green, brown and blue. Historians have noted St. Nicholas had also been previously portrayed wearing long red robes
The Coca-Cola Company is credited for the red outfit.
In the 1930s, one of the biggest brands in the world, brilliantly included Santa in its advertisements wearing an outfit that matched the company colors- red and white. The famous advertising campaign aimed to encourage people to drink Coca Cola during the winter months, so the artist matched Santa's clothing with the company logo. It wasn't until Coca Cola ran their campaign that red became the one and only choice for Santa's suit.
Letters to Santa Never Arrive at the North Pole
It's a magical thought to imagine letters to Santa flying straight to the North Pole, and for countless children, that's precisely where they believe their heartfelt wishes land! In truth, most countries have special programs run by their postal services to manage the flood of mail addressed to Santa Claus.
Santa is too busy to respond to all the letters.
As much as he would like to read and respond to every letter, there is simply not enough time. The jolly man is busy overseeing the production of toys all year long and there is not room in his schedule to write back to all the children.
Operation Santa allows postmasters to respond.
In the early 20th century, a program called Operation Santa was established by the US Post Office where postmasters were granted permission to write back to the kids. The initiative began in a small post office in a town called Santa Claus, Indiana and eventually spread to 15 regional post offices across the United States. Kids can even email Santa but handwritten notes are still the most popular.
Santa Claus is Very Old
Santa Claus is absolutely portrayed as an ancient figure! From his deep historical roots to his familiar modern image, he's undeniably a very old and lasting character.
Parents say Santa is 70 to 80 years old.
If little ones are curious about the exact age of Santa, parents may want to bend the truth a bit. It's probably best to respond with an answer that matches his physical appearance- perhaps somewhere in his mid 70s.
Historians say his true age is 1,800 years old.
But to be more exact, turn to folklore for the real number. For example, Father Christmas appeared in English folklore in 1435, making him close to 600 years old. Historians have traced the feast of Sinterklaas to the Middle Ages, which would likely make him more than 1,500 years of age. Another common theory is that a monk from modern-day Turkey who lived in 280 A.D. was the original version of Santa Claus. This man, who gave away all his wealth to the poor and traveled far and wide to help those in need, would be close to 1,800 years old today.
Rudolph Was Not Part of the Original Reindeer Crew
Today, Rudolph is a key member of Santa's team, but he actually joined the sleigh much later thanks to a copywriter from a department store.
The original list Santa's eight reindeer comes from Clement C. Moore's poem.
The classic lineup of Santa's eight reindeer—Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen—comes from Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (better known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas").
Rudolph joined the team more than 100 years later.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer came much later, created in 1939 by Robert L. May. May, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward department store, wrote Rudolph's story as a promotional booklet for kids during Christmas. Rudolph's popularity then soared when his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, turned the story into the hugely successful song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," recorded by Gene Autry in 1949.
