About Santa

The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch name Sinterklaas, which is a shortened version of Saint Nicholas. The Dutch brought the name to America in the 17th century, where it was anglicized.

Santa Claus is loosely based on the real-life St. Nicholas, who was the Bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey, and was born around 270 AD.

Santa's reindeer are named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph was added to the team during a particularly snowy Christmas Eve.  One year, Santa enlisted Leroy, the redneck reindeer when Rudolph was feeling under the weather.

Santa's favorite cookie is chocolate chip.

Santa is well over 1,700 years old.