Santa Facts – 20 Interesting Facts About Santa Claus

Santa Facts

Santa Claus is a huge part of our lives and we all think we know him pretty well, but these 25 interesting facts will blow your mind!

Here is 25 things you probably never knew about Santa Claus…

1 – Santa is a Christian

Although Santa Claus is a mythical figure, he originated in Western Christian culture and his creation is based in part on a 4th Century Christian man named Saint Nicholas of Myra.

2 – Rudolph Wasn’t One of Santa’s Original Reindeer

Due to the popularity of Robert L. May’s 1939 storybook ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’, and the subsequent Gene Autry Christmas song of the same name, Rudolph was depicted as Santa’s ninth reindeer.

3 – India Holds a Guinness World Record for ‘the largest gathering of Santa Clauses’

On the 27th of December 2014, 18,112 Santas from  Thrissur, Kerala, India overtook Ireland’s previous record, giving them the current Guinness World Record for ‘the largest gathering of Santa Clauses’ in one place.

4- Santa’s Reindeer were first introduced in a Poem

The iconic 1822 poem ‘A Visit From Saint Nicholas ‘ now known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas‘ first introduced Santa’s Reindeer. The poem included many of Santa’s characteristics that we know and love today, including his sleigh which eight Reindeer guided.

5 – Coca-Cola Defined the Modern Santa

Over the years Santa has been depicted in many ways. His suit was mainly green and he even started life as a thin Bishop. It was a huge marketing campaign by Coca-Cola in 1931 which defined the modern image of Santa Claus as the jolly man in the red suit. 

6 – The First Department Store Santa was an Astute Business Man

Businessman James Edgar saw a huge marketing opportunity in 1890, and cashed in on the rising popularity of Santa. He is credited with the idea of dressing up in a Santa Claus in his own Store to encourage shoppers to come in and spend – and it worked! 

7 – Santa is “The Most Powerful Mutant Ever Registered”

Well, according to Marvel comics anyway! One Christmas Eve, Cerebro, the mutant-detecting computer of the X-Men, detected “the most powerful mutant ever registered” in New York’s Rockefeller Center, which turned out to be Santa doing his rounds! 

8 – Coca-Cola was NOT the First Soft Drink Company to Feature Santa 

Although many people think anta’s first advertising feature with with the Coca-Cola Company, it was in fact White Rock Beverages who used Santa to promote mineral water in 1915. 

9 – Santa has an Official Pilot’s license

In 1927, the US government issued Santa with an official pilot’s license! So now he’s free to travel all over the USA without getting into any trouble! 

10 – Santa has a Canadian Citizenship

Minister Kenney declared Santa’s citizenship during special citizenship ceremony in Calgary on Christmas Eve in 2008 – is this why he wears Red and White?

11 – Santa is a Patron Saint 

Saint Nicholas (aka Santa) is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various countries around the globe.

12 – The First Movie Depicting Santa Was Made in 1898

A 76 second long, silent movie entitled ‘Santa Claus’ was a groundbreaking cinematic creation of its time and the world’s very first Christmas Movie! It was the first time Santa was seen on a TV screen. 

13 – Santa gained Huge Popularity from a Poem

Although Santa has always been a big hit, he gained huge notoriety from an 1823 poem titled, “A Visit From St. Nicholas”, which was later renamed “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The poem was published anonymously in a New York newspaper in 1844 and is credited to a huge rise in popularity for Santa. Twas The Night Before Christmas Poem

14 – There are 13 Santa’s in Iceland

Unlike most countries, Iceland doesn’t have just one Santa Claus. Instead, Iceland’s Christmas traditionally features 13 Santas, called Yule Lads. In Icelandic, they are called Jólasveinar. 

15 – You Can Track Santa on Christmas Eve

There are some websites and apps designed specifically to track Santa during his journey all over the world on Christmas Eve.  The most well-known is N.O.R.A.D and it’s a great way to get the kids to bed on Christmas Eve. 

Check Out these Santa Trackers

16 – Santa’s Wife was also introduced in a Poem

Mrs. Claus was first mentioned in an 1849 short story, but she gained popularity in 1889 when she was featured in a poem called ‘Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride’. And Ever since, Sant’as had his lovely wife!

17 – Santa was BANNED in the Soviet Union until the 90s!

Dictator Joseph Stalin banned Christmas in 1929 because he wanted no religion in the new Soviet regime – and that meant no Grandfather Frost (Santa to Us). People had to celebrate secretly until the ban was lifted in the 1990s.

18 – Santa’s Sleigh is the Fastest Vehicle known to Man

Santa has to fly around the whole planet in 31 hours – taking into account time differences. This means Santa’s sleigh would have to go at around 1,800 miles per second, making it THE world’s fastest vehicle.

19 – Santa Originally Gave Cash!

Imagine waking up to a stocking full of cash! Now wouldn’t that be nice?  When Santa was just a lowly Bishop, he started his gift-giving legend by giving cash to poor families for dowries to prevent their daughters from having to sell themselves to earn money – Legend!

20 – Santa Has Many Names

Here in the UK, we call Santa ‘Father Christmas. But he has many nicknames such as The Man with The Bag, The Jolly Red Man, Saint Nick, and Kris Kringle.

• Belgium Pere Noel
• Brazil Papai Noel
• Chile Viejo Pascuero (“Old Man Christmas”)
• China Dun Che Lao Ren (“Christmas Old Man”)
• Netherlands Kerstman
• Finland Joulupukki
• France Pere Noel
• Germany Weihnachtsmann (“Christmas Man”)
• Hawaii Kanakaloka
• Hungary Mikulas (St. Nicholas)
• Italy Babbo Natale
• Japan Hoteiosho (a god or priest who bears gifts)
• Norway Julenissen (“Christmas gnome”)
• Poland Swiety Mikolaj (St. Nicholas)
• Russia Ded Moroz (“Grandfather Frost”)
• Sweden Jultomten (“Christmas brownie”)
• United Kingdom Father Christmas

Now You KNow all About Santa Claus, Try out this free Santa Quiz 

We hope you enjoyed these amazing Santa facts! If you know of any more we should add to this list, please let us know in the comments below…