Santa Claus Timeline

SANTA CLAUS TIMELINE

1689 

Spanish-German explorer Santa Claus discovers the North Pole, and establishes a small base camp.

1691 

Because of harsh and meager living conditions, Claus' crew abandons him.

1692 

Claus is rescued by the Viking ship Hvorfor. He returns to Europe, bringing some items along with him from the North Pole. He finds he is able to sell them quite easily, making a small profit.

1703 

Claus saves up enough money to buy a small ship and crew, and returns to the North Pole. Upon arriving, he finds his base camp, half-buried but still intact.

1704 

Claus returns to Europe with a shipload of North Pole artifacts, and is successful in selling them. He makes enough profit to increase his crew, and buys building materials to expand his polar base.

1705 

Claus returns again to the North Pole, and builds quarters for him and his crew, and sets up the Polar Exports Company.

1716 

After six shiploads of exports, the European market is flooded with polar artifacts, as well as the phony ones making charlatans rich. Seeing this decline, Claus decides to invest his money by starting a toy company in his native Germany.

1720 

Claus Toys becomes the largest toy company in Germany, but only because of Claus' underhanded business dealings. (It was also rumored that Claus was dealing with enemy countries as well). Competitors urged government officials to begin an investigation.

1721 

Enough evidence is found, and charges are drawn up against the Claus Toys Company. Claus himself refuses to release his records.

1722 

The German Supreme Court finds Claus guilty of tax evasion and of treason. When news of this breaks, Claus' employees all turn against him and his company.

1723 

Claus is exiled to Sicily, and shortly before leaving, he absconds with all of the company's funds.

1724 

A search party is sent to the Mediterranean to recover the funds, however, Claus hears of this ahead of time, and he and his Sicilian wife flee for their lives. (Some say he went into Northern Africa, but it is generally assumed that this was only a ruse to lure the searchers off course. He is believed to have returned to his North Pole base).

1725 

Claus II is born en route to the North Pole.

1725-1734 

The Claus' lay low at the North Pole. Claus teaches his son the arts of toymaking and business dealings.

1735 

Rumor has it that Claus has hired Scandinavian builders to construct a castle for him at the North Pole, making use of almost half of the company funds.

1739 

The castle is finished, and is one of the largest in the world. Claus II reaches his fifteenth birthday, and in the same year, Claus' wife dies, accidentally falling from a balcony in one of the castle's great halls.

1740 

Claus, mourning his wife, becomes increasingly ill.

1745 

Santa Claus II becomes of age, and begins taking care of the castle and of his sick father.

1747 

Using the remaining company funds, Claus II builds a small city around the castle to attract workers and craftsmen.

1748 

Word of the North Pole settlement reaches Europe. The Elves of Eastern Europe, quickly becoming political outcasts and striving for a better life, begin immigrating in waves to the North Pole.

1753 

All the elves have left Eastern Europe and have become firmly established at the North Pole. Claus II begins his father's toy company once again, with an estimated 30,000 elves employed. Claus I dies, at age 89.

1755 

The North Pole officially becomes a nation, and Claus II and his wife take the throne. The toy business continues to flourish, and the elves enjoy prosperity. Claus III is born.

1757 

The great stables are built, and scientists are secretly hired by Claus II to begin an ambitious project--that of breeding and training reindeer to fly.

1773 

The flying reindeer are achieved and become Claus II and III's major form of transportation.

1774 

A mutant reindeer, named Rudolf, is born whose nose emits light. He becomes an outcast of the reindeer society, and is taken in by the Claus government. Claus II celebrates his 50th birthday, inviting several other world leaders for a stay at his castle. To impress them, he displays a lavish show of wealth, all at the elves' expense. He gives the other leaders the impression of a dictatorship under the guise of royalty. The elves sense this, and the seeds of rebellion are planted.

1777 

As conditions become increasingly strict, the elves begin to search for a leader to lead their revolt. Rudolf, still in favor of the Claus government, sees their plight and begins thinking of ways to use it to his advantage.

1784 

On his 60th birthday, Claus II takes a sleigh ride down main street during the Christmas day parade, and is assasinated by a radical faction of elves. Claus III, now 29, takes over immediately and puts martial law into effect for the whole North Pole. Civil war breaks out as Rudolf leads the Elves in rebellion.

1785-1792 

The Seven-year Strike takes place. The elves refuse to make toys, and the Claus Toy Company nearly goes bankrupt, as the North Pole hits an economic low. Claus III, fearing for his life, becomes a prisoner of his own castle. Rudolf rises to the peak of his power, and sets himself as leader of the elven community.

1796 

Rudolf and his army unsuccessfully attempt to invade Norway. Over 10,000 elves are killed.

1800 

Inside the castle, unbeknownst to the elves, Claus IV is born.

1802 

After a string of political blunders, Rudolf senses that he is quickly losing favor with the elves. Frosty the Snowman is built, brought to life, and used as a political scapegoat.

1804 

Frosty the Snowman is melted at a public execution, and the elves are calmed of their unrest, for the moment.

1819-1826 

After a long period of unrest, Rudolf is finally ousted, and Claus III, aged 71, rightfully regains the throne. Prince Claus IV is introduced to the elves publicly for the first time.

1827-1841 

The Renormalization years. Claus III brings the near-bankrupt Claus Toys Company out of dormancy and appoints his son as president. In order to clear their bad name and make up for their out-of-the-way location, they decide to start the hugest advertising campaign ever. Each Christmas, Claus IV will ride all over the world, distributing free toys to children everywhere. The ad campaign becomes a hit, but remains very costly.

1837 

Claus III dies.

1851 

As the annual ad campaign continues, deficits pile up, and the elves are asked to work harder, longer hours and still take a pay cut. They start to complain, but Claus assures them he will do all he can to help them. As a sign of goodwill, Claus IV marries an Elven wife, strengthening the bonds between the Claus family and the Elves.

1856 

Claus V is born. In order to celebrate, Claus IV decides to stay at home, and so he suggests that department stores use costumed employees to represent him. They do, and it works out so well that he decides to do it every year.

1857-1867 

Claus V grows up, spending most of his time visiting with his elf relatives and friends. Claus IV, who spends most of his time building up the company, doesn't seem to mind, in fact, he feels that it's good publicity.

1871 

Working conditions continue to worsen for the elves, and they try to convince Claus V to overthrow his father and give the government back to the elves.

1872 

Claus V usurps his father's throne, sending him to live the remainder of his life under guard in the castle's west wing.

1875 

After reading the works of Karl Marx, Claus V chooses communism as the new form of government for the North Pole. Some elves protest this, but they are successfully quieted. (It is also because of communism that Santa Claus' suit later changes from beige to red.)

1881 

Claus IV dies in captivity, just as the new Government gets underway. His funeral is not a large one.

1887 

In order to keep up with growing populations, Claus Toys becomes industrialized. The elves learn the ways of mass production on the assembly line.

1893 

Another mutant reindeer is born, and is named Rudolf II in honor of the first one, whom the communist government now honors for "giving the government back to the elves."

1900 

Sigmund Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" is published.

1902 

After he had been presumed dead for years, Frosty the Snowman is claimed to have been sighted on several occasions. All throughout the kingdom, children claim that they all heard him say he'd be back again some day.

1906 

Claus VI is born. The Claus family celebrates, but the elves aren't the least bit excited.

1909-1922 

The toys distributed yearly begin to show signs of propaganda influence. Frosty the Snowman continues to appear occasionally, and Claus V begins to grow uneasy, fearing some sort of hidden sabotage.

1925 

Claus V dies, under mysterious circumstances. He is found buried in the snow in the castle garden, frozen solid. Many think it is the work of Frosty, but no one can prove it.

1926 Claus VI takes over, and immediately tightens up security. He rules with an iron hand, but a fair one. Electric lights are installed in the streets, and the castle and the town gets electricity. The factories are expanded, and the toys continue to be used as propaganda for the world.

1929 

Angered by Claus' commercialization of Christmas, the Grinch attempts to remove the material goods to show the true meaning of Christmas. He fails, and later Claus commissions a cartoon, which warps the story so that the Grinch is made out to be the villian.

1949 

Claus VII is born.

1979 

Claus VI dies of natural causes.

1933-1990 

The North Pole remains stable, with everything running smoothly. Across the Western world, a pattern starts to emerge and become noticed. Children receive Claus' toys each Christmas, but as they grow older, their parents throw them away and then they tell their children that there is no Santa Claus.

1991 

First sightings of Anti-Claus.

1993 

Anti-Claus is observed closely with telescopes, and photographed. His suit is like that of Santa Claus, but with the reds and whites reversed. He carries a 3-ply Hefty bag full of gifts no one wants or needs. And instead of using reindeer and a sleigh, he rides in a bathtub pulled by eight flying cows.

1997 

Anti-Claus is radar tracked and found to live in an underground hideout run by dwarves at the South Pole.

2002 

Communism fails utterly at the North Pole due to the nature of the elves. Claus VII, flying clockwise around the earth making the Christmas rounds, collides with Anti-Claus, who was flying counterclockwise. A huge explosion and blinding flash of light occurs, leading scientists to believe that they annihilated each other.

2007 

The North Pole becomes a democracy, run wholly by the elves. Christmas is no longer commercialized or exploited. Happiness is finally achieved throughout the kingdom.

2011 

It is discovered that Claus VII did not die in the explosion, but merely made it appear so. From there he went to live in the Bahamas. He is later found, dead of a heart attack, in a jacuzzi with two and a half dozen nymphets.

Strange Christmas Traditions

Santa Claus History. Video of Santa Claus History

Christmas Humor. Christmas Jokes

Christmas Humor. Christmas Jokes

A guy's wife was nagging him hard for a four-wheeler but still he bought her a beautiful extravagant diamond ring for Christmas. The husband's friend was amazed at his decision and asked him in secret, "Why couldn't you buy a car instead of the diamond ring?" The husband smiled and answered, "Fake cars are not easy to find."

Hilarious Christmas Signs

    * Toy Store: "Ho, ho, ho spoken here."
    * Bridal boutique: "Marry Christmas."
    * Outside a church: "The original Christmas Club."
    * At a department store: "Big pre-Christmas sale. Come in and mangle with the crowd."
    * A Texas jewelry store: "Diamond tiaras -- $70,000. Three for $200,000."
    * A reducing salon: "24 Shaping Days until Christmas."
    * In a stationery store: "For the man who has everything... A calendar to remind him when payments are due."

Santa Stats

    * U.S. has 78 people registered under S. Claus and one under Kriss Kringle
    * December is the most popular month for nose jobs.
    * Weight of Santa's sleigh loaded with one Beanie Baby for every kid on earth: 333,333 tons.
    * Number of reindeers required to pull a 333,333-ton sleigh: 214,206 plus Rudolph.
    * Average wage of a mall Santa: $11 an hour. With real beard: $20.
    * To deliver all his gifts in one night, Santa would have to make 822.6 visits per second (at 3,000 times the speed of sound).
    * At that speed, Santa and his reindeers would instantaneously burst into flames in Earth's atmosphere just like meteors.

At Grandma's

Two little boys went to their grandparents' place for Christmas. At bedtime, the youngest one began to pray at the top of his lungs.

"I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE...
I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE...
I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE..."

The older brother exclaimed, "Why are you shouting? Do you thing God is deaf." The little one promptly replied, "Nope! But Grandma certainly is!"

An Axe to Grind

A boy was constantly nagging his father to get him a Christmas tree. Each year, the father told him, "I don't want to pay for it." At last, son finally managed to exasperate his father and he went out with his axe. Thirty minutes later, he returned with a great big Christmas tree. The son was amazed that his father returned so soon and asked, "How did you cut it down so fast?" The father replied, "Oh! It's from the tree lot." "So why did you took the axe with you?", the son asked. "Because I didn't want to pay for it.", the father replied.

Santa Claus is a woman!

Santa Claus is a woman because:

    * The vast majorities of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve and only go for a last-minute shopping spree.
    * For a he-Santa, there would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped on to the rear bumper of the sleigh.
    * Even if the male Santa did have reindeer, he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.
    * For a Santa man, there would be unavoidable delays in the chimney, where the Bob Vila-like Santa would stop to inspect and repaint bricks in the flue.
    * He would also need to check for carbon monoxide fumes in every gas fireplace, and get under every Christmas tree that is crooked to straighten it to a perfectly upright 90-degree angle.
    * Men can't pack a bag.
    * Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.
    * Men would feel their masculinity is threatened...having to be seen with all those elves.
    * Men don't answer their mail.
    * Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described even in jest as anything remotely resembling a "bowlful of jelly."
    * Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.
    * Having to do the 'Ho Ho Ho' thing would seriously inhibit their ability to pick up women.
    * Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

Santa is certainly a Man!

Santa Claus is undoubtedly a man because:

    * Santa doesn't deliver his presents on The Friday after Thanksgiving when the malls are open for 20 hours. Christmas Eve deliveries prove Mr. Claus to be a man.
    * Santa's reindeer is so drunk that his nose glows as his navigator. A woman would never let out those cute deer to work on Christmas Eve that too in cold and perhaps would dress them in sweaters and booties.
    * Only a male Santa can ignore 'fashion' and wear the same suit for 500 years.
    * Santa has never been known to answer a letter.
    * Women aren't interested in stockings unless someone better looking than them is wearing them.
    * As many presents as Santa delivers he has no trouble with babes.
    * Only men have the ability to stay up for 24 hours straight in the cold with a bunch of mangy deer and going up and down soot-infested chimneys.
    * A woman would never even think of going down a chimney and risk staining that red velvet.
    * Commitment requires that Christmas be on the same day each year. A female Santa would delay Christmas until she can touch-up her makeup and do her hair after leaving each house.

Santa Tracking With NORAD

Santa Tracking With NORAD

All the preparations for this year are in place! Come back each day to receive updates from the North Pole and to discover new surprises in the Kid's Countdown Village.
Santa's elves have been busier than usual this year preparing for Christmas Eve.



HOT UPDATES from the North Pole (changing each day of December)

NORAD officials have received notification that Santa has selected 9 reindeer for his yuletide trek around the world on Christmas Eve! These special reindeer have been on a rigorous exercise program to make sure they are physically fit for the journey! NORAD has learned that one of the reindeer has a bright shiny nose, and responds to the name Rudolph. Click here to stay updated

Orginial Santa Letter

Our Santa Letters have been a holiday tradition for generations.

For almost sixty years we’ve put smiles on the faces of nearly two million children all over the world with the Original Letter from Santa

Santa Letters

These personalized letters are filled with more than good wishes from Saint Nick: they’re filled with the promise of Christmas, and all its secrets and magic. And, a Santa letter can set many a worried mind at ease, as each reader learns that he or she is, indeed, on Santa’s “good” list! It may sound insignificant to adult ears, but think back: To a child, knowing he or she has the approval of “the Big Guy” can do amazing things for self-esteem and confidence!

And with each Santa letter, your child receives so much more. Personalized especially for the recipient, you can even include customized text to tailor the letter to your child’s life. Imagine the thrill your child will feel, realizing that Santa has taken a special interest in him or her.

Every letter from Santa is printed on custom stationery, unique to Santa Claus House – in fact, Santa has been using the same stationery with only minor changes, since 1960, continuing a tradition that adds to the letter’s believability and magic. Each letter is postmarked and mailed from Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, and more importantly, each letter is backed by a real address, where children can visit Santa, and even write back to the Jolly Old Elf.

Each letter also includes a jumbo sticker, proclaiming the bearer to be “on Santa’s Good List; an exclusive, limited-edition keepsake “Santa Dollar;” and a full-color keepsake photo of Santa. And of course, every Santa letter is stamped with our trademark “Santa’s Official Mail” seal and a genuine North Pole postmark.

Santa letters are mailed during the first part of December, to ensure delivery before Christmas Day no matter where you or your special child is located.

Order Santa Letters now by clicking here!

Give your child an added thrill with their own specially-crafted genuine deed to one square inch of North Pole – an authentic deed personalized with your child’s name and a real lot and block number.


Maybe you received a Santa letter when you were a child- their parents and grandparents from decades ago. If you did, you remember the butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling you got when you saw that envelope with its genuine North Pole postmark. Let your special child experience that same thrill today. And if you weren’t lucky enough to receive the Original Letter from Santa as a child, start a tradition that is sure to be appreciated, fondly remembered, and passed down to future generations.

It’s never too late to start a family tradition, and the Original Letter from Santa is offered in more than two dozen styles to suit multiple occasions and circumstances, including letters specifically designed for baby’s first Christmas, toddlers, adults, and non-believers, as well as for children facing tumultuous times in their lives. The Original Letter from Santa is even available in seven different languages, in addition to English. With all of his reindeer to care for, Santa is certainly an animal lover, and he hasn’t forgotten the family pet: special versions of the Original Letter from Santa are even available for that special pampered family dog or cat.

More than one child at the same address? The Original Letter from Santa is offered in a variety of different formats, so each child will feel as special as you want them to feel.

The Original Letter from Santa is truly an heirloom that will be packed away from year to year, handed down to that special child when they have a home of their own. Shared with their own children, your gift of an Original Letter from Santa will be the foundation of a favorite tradition that will help many generations to experience firsthand the unique, pure, unadulterated joy of the true Christmas Spirit. Order Santa Letters now by clicking here!

Santa Proof. Santa Letters. Santa Phone Calls

Santa Proof. Santa Letters. Santa Phone Calls


Letters from Santa Claus

Do you remember as a child the fun of getting something in the mail? Now imagine if that something was a personal letter from Santa stating everything on your wish list and what you have done to deserve them...

Personal Phone Calls from Santa

Your child will never feel closer to Santa than when Santa talks to them by name!
Simply tell Santa who to call, the number and when and Santa will tell them about how they are preparing for the big day!

Santa Evidence Kit

Set the stage Christmas morning to provide proof of Santa's magical visit. Everything you need to convince even the most skeptical including Santa's sleigh license, eye glasses, glove, thank you card (for the cookies) and more!

Santa's Boot Print Kit

What better proof of Santa's visit than his boot prints throughout your home. Using these boot print stencils and the included shaker of magic snow you can safely leave Santa tracks for your child to find Christmas morning.

Good List Certificate

Don't let your child's efforts to make Santa's coveted good list go unnoticed. Insure that Santa is always watching with this beautifully designed and printed Official Good List Certificate. Includes Santa's embossed foil seal.

Santa Letters. Phone Calls from Santa. Santa Proof Evidence Kit

Santa Letters. Phone Calls from Santa. Santa Proof Evidence Kit


All of us can remember a time, maybe not too long ago, when just the mere thought that Santa Claus could exist created a gut wrenching level of excitement impossible to duplicate. I would even go as far to say that most of us have probably never felt that same level of enthusiasm since... until we had a child of our own.

Can you honestly remember what it's like to not be able to sleep just thinking about what Santa Claus was going to leave under your Christmas tree? If not, just ask your children or grandchildren...because they know.

As adults, we have been conditioned to think what seems "too good to be true" probably is. However, your child is looking for reasons to believe...
Today, it is increasingly difficult to maintain the literally once in a lifetime magical belief in Santa Claus that meant so much to you as a child. This is where we can help you shine...
Located in the small town named after St. Nick himself, as you can probably imagine, we are all about Christmas year-around. For years it has become tradition for many families to travel to our small community to have a letter mailed to their children carrying the special official postmark of Santa Claus lovingly designed each year by a child.

"I received the kit this morning, thank you so much - it's brilliant!!! I thought the letters were the best I had seen but this (Santa Evidence Kit) is absolutely the best!! Thank you so much. I have to say of all the money I spent on toys & presents this year, definitely the money spent on the letters & santa proof kit was the best spent! I think I'm worse than the children..." - Wendy C. - Dublin, Ireland

Since 2000, we have been helping thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more, light up the most precious faces in their lives. Our unique, high quality products were developed specifically to build your child's anticipation to new heights and to prolong that magical belief in Santa Claus many lose at a much too early age.
As always all of our products come with a 100% satisfaction guaranty and our company is backed by the Better Business Bureau.

Letters from Santa Claus, Phone Calls from Santa, Santa Evidence Kits, Santa Boot Print Kits and Santa's Official Good List Certificate from Imaginary Greetings are guaranteed to create a level of excitement in anticipation of Santa's magical visit to your home this Christmas like never before possible.

Norad Tracks Santa 2008 - With Google's Help

Norad Tracks Santa 2008 - With Google's Help

Follow Santa as he delivers presents around the world.

Like last year, the Norad Tracks Santa site will open its web site on December 1st allowing kids everywhere to watch the countdown to Christmas Eve. The web site will feature fun holiday games and activities daily until December 24th. And, like last year, the official application to watch Santa fly around the world on Christmas Eve will be Google Earth.

The NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) program began on Dec. 24, 1955, after an errant phone call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The call was from a local youngster who dialed a misprinted telephone number in a local newspaper advertisement. The commander who answered the phone that night gave the youngster the information requested – the whereabouts of Santa Claus. This began the tradition of tracking Santa Claus, a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958. This Christmas marks the 50th anniversary of NORAD tracking Santa Claus as he goes around the world delivering presents.

In 2006 Google created a 3D game in Google Earth where you had to find Christmas presents somewhere on the Earth for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. They had Santa's North Pole home and his sleigh rendered in 3D, and then the Santa tracker was linked to the Norad data. Google also used Google Earth to track Santa in 2005. Last year (2007) was the first year Google's mapping applications were the official ones used by Norad for following Santa on the Internet.

Letters From Santa. Free Call From Santa Claus. Santa Commemorative Postmark

Letters From Santa. Free Call From Santa. Santa Claus Commemorative Postmark

On Monday, December the 1st the 2008 Santa Claus commemorative postmark will officially be available and our first batch of letters from Santa will be some of the first envelopes baring this historic emblem! Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret Click Here NOW!

Many have already taken us up on our offer for a free phone call from Santa with every letter you send to make this Christmas just that much more magical. This offer is for a very limited time but it's still not too late...but don't wait any longer. Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret Click Here NOW!

Beautiful Letter from Santa
FREE Phone Call from Santa
FREE "Santa Was Here" Door Hanger
FREE Oversized Follow-up Postcard
FREE Birthday Card Offer
FREE First Class Postage
Buy 3 and Get the 4th for FREE
Collector's Commemorative Postmark

Letter from Santa Claus
Authentic look and highly personalized online in just minutes!

Free Phone Call from Santa
Use the gift code "Christmas Magic" after adding call and letter to cart.

Free "Santa Was Here" Door Hanger
Personalized with child's name and "to do" list before going to bed.

Free Oversized Follow-up Postcard
Personalized and mailed in January as Santa relaxes on vacation.

Free Birthday Card Offer
Offered after checkout if you refer our service to three friends.

Buy 3 and Get the 4th Free
Automatically calculated when you add your 4th letter to your cart.

Free First Class® Postage
Letters mailed individually before deadline includes 1st Class postage.

Foil Stamped Embossed Stationery
Two beautifully embossed and foil-stamped stationery designs.

Collector's Santa Claus Postmark
Designed by a child only offered Dec. 1st - 24th then retired forever.

Almost a Decade of Experience
Most experienced Santa Letter service for almost 10 years.

Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret!

Charlie Brown Christmas Video by the Cast of Scrubs

Charlie Brown Christmas - Performed by the Cast of Scrubs
A slightly depressed Charlie Brown about why he doesn't understand Christmas. However, he is about to learn. This has been one of the most popular Youtube Christmas videos.

Wild House Christmas Light Show

Wild House Christmas Light Show

These folks spent a lot of time timing lights and music for the home christmas lights

Setting Up Your Christmas Tree In 7 Minutes

Setting Up Your Christmas Tree In 7 Minutes

Watch these folks set up their Christmas Tree really, really fast

Letter to Santa Claus

Letter to Santa Claus

It is imperative for kids to write letters to Santa Claus. Parents teach their children on letter writing to Santa Claus. Also, teachers in schools impart basic training to children on writing letters to Santa Claus. In fact, before the Christmas vacation commences, there is a Santa Claus letter writing competition for the kids. The best letter writer wins several rewards announced by the teachers. Usually, all letters to Santa are addressed as 'my dear Santa', indicating the degree of love that kids have for Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is an integral part of any Christmas celebration. Any Christmas party or celebration in the absence of a Santa Claus is good as not celebrating the festival. Santa Claus means more than anything for Christmas celebration. Santa Claus is associated with every aspect of Christmas and children simply love him for various reasons. He is supposed to fetch luck, umpteen wishes and gifts to all members of the families, including children.

It is generally believed that Santa Claus' home is located in the North Pole. And on Christmas, he arrives in his reindeer driven sledge to place gifts for children. After the day of Christmas, everybody wake up and rush to the Christmas tree. This is a most cherished moment especially for the kids. The gifts will be placed under the Christmas tree marked with a name of the recipient. It is generally believed that Santa Claus places these gifts overnight. To ensure that Santa Claus fetches gifts for the children, they should write him a letter at least one month ahead of the festival on what they want. This is the general practice in every Christmas family. The children will write a letter addressed to Santa Claus on the gifts they want. This is generally to ensure that the kids express their desire.

Normally, parents make the kids read out the letters addressed to Santa Claus loud to know what their wishes are. Then, the children are asked to post it to a common address where Santa Claus stays. In fact, this has become an exercise for elders in the neighborhood to enact Santa Claus during Christmas. All letters are posted to a common address, which the children think belong to Santa Claus. An adult in the neighborhood dons the dress of Santa Claus and delivers the gifts to the children in each house of the community.

Letters from Santa Claus

Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret!

Do you remember how exciting it used to be to get something...anything in the mail? Now imagine if that something was a personal letter from Santa Claus...that mentions everything on your own wish list and what you have done to deserve them.

For years it has been a favorite family Christmas tradition to travel, sometimes several hundred miles away, to our small southern Indiana town named after Ol' St. Nick himself, Santa Claus, Indiana. In fact, being coined as "Santa's own personal post office" the Santa Claus Post Office processes more mail during the months of November and December than all other months combined!

When a child, anticipating the most magical time of the year, poetically writes her heartfelt letter to Santa Claus there is no doubt in her mind that her letter will be delivered. You might be surprised, however, to learn she's most likely correct. You see, even if the envelope bares nothing more than Santa's name inscribed in crayon but with the utmost sincerity, like thousands do every year that letter will most likely make it to Santa Claus...Santa Claus, Indiana that is. But what if Santa could respond to her with a personal letter of his own? Well now he can!

Knowing how much this one simple family tradition means to so many already we have brought this unforgettable holiday treasure to your home via the power of the internet. Using our simple and fun online Santa Letter Creator you can easily personalize your letters in minutes. Then, beginning the first week of December when the commemorative Santa Claus postmark becomes available, these truly magical letters, along with the personalized Santa Stop Here door hangers, are postmarked and mailed straight to your child's mailbox.

Plus, order now and in January, as Santa relaxes on the beach after a long Christmas season, he will write a message of encouragement like only he can and send it on an oversized post card. This is truly an opportunity to create a level of excitement that will only come once in a lifetime.

Designed by a child, Santa wouldn't have it any other way.
Each year a competition is held for the prestigious honor of designing Santa's official postmark. Children submit their entries hoping that this year's Santa Claus Postmark, the only one of it's kind, will bare their initials as the artist at hand. The chosen postmark will then be used from December 1st through Christmas Eve at which time it will be retired to the "Holiday Hall of Fame" never to be used again. The Santa Claus postmark has grown in popularity in stamp enthusiasts and memorabilia collectors all over the world.

Why a letter from Santa Claus?
It's true that as we get older we are taught that when something seems too good to be true than don't believe it because it probably is. Our children, however, look for reasons to believe. It's their imaginations that fuel their hopes and their dreams which in turn shape our future.

Your child will literally be amazed as to how Santa himself knows so much about him. The fact that he knows all of his accomplishments is proof that he really does keep a close eye all year long.

These letters from Santa truly remove doubt in so many children each year who might be wondering if Santa is real extending their belief, if even just one more year, in the most wholesome and generous concept to which they will ever be exposed...a.k.a. Santa Claus.

The most affordable yet potentially most memorable money you'll spend.
Many parents and grandparents comment each year as to how out of all the money spent on gifts the one aspect they will all remember most is actually where they spent the least. The look in your child's face when they read their personal letter from Santa is impossible to articulate. Don't let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass you by. Request your personal letter from Santa Claus right now. You will be extremely glad you did!

Father Christmas Jokes. Santa Humor

FATHER CHRISTMAS JOKES

What do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective?
Santa Clues!

Father Christmas wins a saucepan in a competition.
Now that's what you call pot luck!

What do the reindeer sing to Father Christmas on his birthday?
Freeze a jolly good fellow!

What do you call a man who claps at Christmas?
Santapplause!

Twinkle Twinkle chocolate bar
Santa drives a rusty car
Press the starter
Press the choke
Off he goes in a cloud of smoke!

Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas?
Santa Jaws!

Why does Father Christmas like to work in the garden?
Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!

Why is a cat on a beach like Christmas?
Because they both have "Sandy claws"!

What does Father Christmas call his money?
Iced lolly?

What's Father Christmas called when he takes a rest while delivering presents?
Santa pause!

Christmas Humor. Christmas Jokes. Christmas Funnies

SHORT CHRISTMAS JOKES

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas ?
It's Christmas, Eve !

How do you make an idiot laugh on boxing day ?
Tell him a joke on Christmas Eve !

What do you have in December that you don't have in any other month ?
The letter "D" !

What does Father Christmas suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney ?
Santa Claustrophobia !

What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas Eve ?
Black mail !

Who delivers cat's Christmas presents ?
Santa Paws !

Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney ?
Because it soots him !

Who delievers elephants's Christmas presents?
Elephanta Claus !

How many chimneys does Father Christmas go down ?
Stacks !

Why is Santa like a bear on Christmas Eve ?
Because he's Sooty !

Reindeer Jokes. Christmas Humor. Christmas Jokes

REINDEER JOKES

What do reindeer say before telling you a joke?
This one will sleigh you!

Why is a reindeer like a gossip?
Because they are both tail bearers!

Why do reindeer wear fur coats?
Because they would look silly in plastic macs!

How do you make a slow reindeer fast?
Don't feed it!

Why did the reindeer wear black boots?
Because his brown ones were all muddy!

How long should a reindeer's legs be?
Just long enough to reach the ground!

Why did the reindeer wear sunglasses at the beach?
Because he didn't want to be recognised!

Which reindeer have the shortest legs?
The smallest ones!

Where do you find reindeer?
It depends on where you leave them!

What do reindeer have that no other animals have?
Baby reindeer

Christmas History. Fun Christmas Historic Facts

Christmas History. Fun Christmas Historic Facts

Christmas was once a moveable feast celebrated many different times during the year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the Christian one.

In 1752, 11 days were dropped from the year when the switch was from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The December 25 date was effectively moved 11 days backwards. Some Christian church sects, called Eastern Orthodox, still celebrate Christmas on January 7 (previously Dec. 25 of the Julian calendar.)

Many of the traditions associated with Christmas (giving gifts, lighting a Yule log, singing carols, decorating an evergreen) hark back to older religions.

Some traditions described here are reminiscent of modern day customs, and others, like the Festival of the Radishes in Mexico, are bizarre and fascinating. You are invited to explore the rituals of past and present below:

Years ago, Dutch child took their shoes off at night and put them on a window sill until they rose the next morning. On Christmas Eve, they would put hay or straw in their shoes for the Wise Men's Camels. In turn the Wise Men (or the 3 King's) would leave treats or small gifts in the shoes.

A similar explanation comes from Burlington, North Carolina: The wooden shoe or "Sabot" was the traditional footwear in many countries. This footwear was great on the farm where the landscape was far from neat and clean. However, the wood in the shoes had to be dried out nightly so children would place the shoes next to the fire place to dry. On Christmas Eve, Pere Noel would place trinkets in the shoes for the good children and a mischievous elf would leave coal in the shoe for bad children.

In Germany, St. Nicholas used to carve toys out of wood and put them in shoes.

Before Christianity the Swedish people celebrated "midvinterblot" at winter solstice. It simply means "mid-winter-blood", and featured both animal and human sacrifice. This tradition took place at certain cult places, and basically every old Swedish church is built on such a place. The pagan tradition was finally abandoned around 1200 AD, due to the missionaries persistence. (Of course they were sacrificed too, by the Vikings, in the beginning.) Midvinterblot paid tribute to the local gods, appealing to them to let go of the winter's grip. The winters in Scandinavia are dark and grim, and these were the days before central heating. And the Gods were powerful. Until this day Thursday is named after the war god Thor. Friday after Freja (fertility) It is interesting to note that to this day the Swedish name for Christmas is Jul (Yule), and the Jul gnome has a more important role than Christmas father or the Christchild. You don't kill those pagan tradition easily. The old Viking religion with Thor and his friends is still practiced by some people, somewhat less bloodily.

Winter Solstice celebrations are held on the eve of the shortest day of the year. During the first millennium in what is today Scotland, the Druids celebrated Winter Solstice honoring their Sun God and rejoicing his return as the days got longer, signaling the coming of spring. Also called Yule, this tradition still lives today in the Wiccan traditions and in many cultures around the world.

A huge log -- the Yule Log -- is brought into an outdoor clearing and becomes part of a great bonfire. Everyone dances and sings around the fire. All the noise and great excitement is said to awaken the sun from its long winter sleep, hurrying spring on its way as the cycle begins once again and the days grow longer than the nights.

Full Moons of the Millenium
The Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, occurred on December 22, 1999. It was special due to the fact that the solstice will coincide with a Full Moon, and not just any Full Moon.

The Moon was within a few hours of its perigee, its closet point to the Earth. This made the Moon appear to be about 14 percent larger than usual.

The Moon also was only ten days from the Earth's perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, and since it shines with reflected sunlight, the moon appeared 7 percent brighter than usual.

These events occurring together are extremely rare. This was probably be the biggest, brightest Moon of the last Millennium. Rare indeed, since the next time these events coincide is around year 2130.

Here's what a friend from Stillwater, Oklahoma, tells me: I sometimes wonder why people are so fancinated with just a full moon and not all the phases. Each on has a significant meaning. I did some research and found that in the year 2000 on the 25th we will have a New Moon, which can be just as beautiful as the stars are easier to see and the moon has nearly disappeared from the sky. Sometimes if you look hard enough you can see the Halo of the Moon during a new Moon: it is beautiful.

Moving onward, we get a full moon on the Dec. 26th of 2004, and Dec. 24th 2007. In the Year 2009 on New Year's Eve we get a full moon. Again on Christmas Eve of 2011 we get a full moon and finally in the year 2015 we will get a full moon on Christmas Day.

The ancient traditions of Pakistan pre-date the Christian era. During winter solstice, an ancient demigod returns to collect prayers and deliver them to Dezao, the supreme being. During this celebrations women and girls are purified by taking ritual baths. The men pour water over their heads while they hold up bread. Then the men and boys are purified with water and must not sit on chairs until evening when goat's blood is sprinkled on their faces. Following this purification, a great festival begins, with singing, dancing, bonfires, and feasting on goat tripe and other delicacies.

Legend has it that the shepherds rejoiced when they learned of the birth of Christ and they waved their hooked staffs about and played Ganna. This is the origin of the game called Ganna that is traditionally played on Christmas Day (January 7 -- the older date of Christmas) by all the men and boys in Ethiopia.

This humorous tradition was documented in 1851in a London Newspaper. In Devonshire, England, on Twelfth Night (January 7), the farmers get their weapons and go to their apple orchard. Selecting the oldest tree, they form a circle and chant:
Here's to thee, old apple tree
Whence thou mayst bud and whence thou mayst blow
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow:
Hats full, caps full,
Bushels, bushels, sacks full,
And my pockets full too!
Huzza! Huzza!

The men drink cider, make merry, and fire their weapons (charged only with powder) at the tree. They return to the home and are denied entrance no matter what the weather by the women indoors. When one of the men guesses the name of the roast that is being prepared for them, all are let in. The one who guessed the roast is named "King for the Evening" and presides over the party until the wee hours.

True Story of Santa. How Santa Grew Over Time

The True Story of Santa
How Santa Grew Over Time--literally

Santa no longer travels in such punishing and hirsute company as he did in the German-speaking countries.

If the kids you know wonder why, you can say it's because Santa has derived much of his identity from his Irish and British ancestors, who believed that fairies and elves scampered invisibly through the woods, sometimes harming people, and sometimes giving gifts. During the 12 days of Christmas, these creatures were especially active.

Santa traveled to the United States in the 1600s, with Dutch settlers in New York. His name first got newspaper publicity here in 1773. Before there was television, newspapers were the media that created American idols.

Santa got his big break in 1809 when Washington Irving, in his satirical work, A History of New York, wrote about Santa riding a horse through town on the Eve of Saint Nicholas. Irving cut Black Peter out of the picture, though, leaving Santa as a solo act--not unlike Justin Timberlake is today.

Santa made it to the big leagues in 1823, with the publication of A Visit from St. Nicholas, which is better known as The Night Before Christmas. Even though he was a celebrity at this point, and had teamed up with an ensemble act of eight reindeer, Santa wasn't all that we now know him to be. Rather, he was described as an elf (one who would fit in a chimney, no less).

Nearly 40 years later, Santa's empire had expanded substantially. You might say that he had a monopoly, although the federal government has discreetly looked the other way.

In Harper's Weekly, the illustrator Thomas Nast depicted Santa in his huge workshop at the North Pole. What's truly remarkable about this is that the first explorers to reach the North Pole didn't get there until 1909, and rumor has it that they missed the actual spot (which would explain why they didn't get footage of Santa and his elves at work).

As his business grew, Santa attained physical stature as well. He was depicted as a full-sized man by 1931, when his image was used in Coca-Cola advertisements. Eight years later, he formed his partnership with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, as recounted in a poem written by a Montgomery Ward employee--a poem sent home with holiday shoppers back in the days when people who had red noses just lived with them instead of having plastic surgery.

Although it's not clear when Mrs. Claus came into the picture, some of Santa's detractors say it was a public relations stunt designed to divert attention from the fact that Santa lived with a bunch of elves. Nonetheless, the marriage seems to have endured. There is no record of any separation, legal or actual, and no family therapist has written a tell-all about any woes they might have endured.