Santa Claus

Santa, as he is typically shown

Santa Claus (or Father Christmas) is a magical being from legends and folklore who is commonly associated with Christmas. He is usually depicted a plump and cheerful white-bearded white man wearing a red suit with white trim. He is said to bring presents to children all around the world on Christmas Eve and leave them underneath their Christmas trees.

He is said to live at the North Pole with his wife Mrs. Claus, elves who build the presents for the kids, and reindeer who pull his sleigh through the sky, which is how he travels the world. Father Christmas (the Nordic version) is said to live in Lapland, Finland.

Santa Claus was not a real, living person, but the character of Santa Claus today was largely based on Saint Nicholas.

1881 illustration by Thomas Nast who, along with Clement Clarke Moore's poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, helped to create the modern image of Santa
A classic American image of Santa

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