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In the North Pole, Santa is accompanied by his mythical elves and relies on them for tasks that are vital to his gift-giving process. At his workshop, his elves spend the rest of the year creating toys for Santa to distribute on Christmas Eve. They also have other responsibilities, such as taking care of Santa's reindeers and keeping his workshop clean. These elves are often shown with green or red suits, large ears, and pointy hats. They were first introduced in 1856 by Louisa May Alcott in a piece of literature entitled "Christmas Elves". The association of Christmas presents with elves has precedents in the 19th century with the Tomte in Sweden and Nisse in Denmark; in addition, St Nicholas himself is referred to as an elf in "A Visit from St. Nicholas". Although in America they are referred to as elves, they have many other different names:
| Location | Name |
|---|---|
| Iceland | Yule Lads |
| Belgium | Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) |
| Netherlands | Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) |
| Germany | Knecht Ruprecht |
| Luxembourg | Hoesecker |
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a fictional Christmas character who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well behaved children around the world on the night of Christmas Eve. To do so, he rides on his minature sleigh, which is pulled by his reindeer, and sneaks into the different houses through the chimneys. He is generally envisioned as a joyous white bearded man wearing a red suit and spectacles; this depiction became popular in 1823 under the influence of the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. He has also been known to make a list to distinguish the “naughty kids” from the “nice kids,” in which the naughty kids would receive coal instead of presents. He is often portrayed at his workshop in the North Pole with his wife, Mrs. Claus, and is known for his classic saying, “ho ho ho"! This figure was created and named after Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek Christian bishop of the Myra, whose legacy includes generous gift giving to the poor. He has a variety of names, such as
- Santa Claus
- Father Christmas
- Kris Kringle
- Saint Nick
- Pelznickel
Ever since the launch of this character, his fame has escalated greatly, as he has been featured in a multitude of movies, TV shows, and even on some radio stations. Children often celebrate with him by sitting on his lap at malls and reading him their Christmas list; it is stated that every year for generations, children have written lists of what toys they desired and supposably mailed it to him at the North Pole just before his arrival. He even has songs written about him, such as 'Santa Claus is Coming Tonight' and 'I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' Although this man is said to be fictional, many young children still believe in his presence and existance today.
Reindeer
In addition to elves, Santa also has nine flying reindeer that lift his sleigh and guide it on his global journey of delivering presents. Their commonly known names are:
- Dasher
- Dancer
- Prancer
- Vixen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner
- Blixen
- Rudolph
Out of all of these creatures, Rudolph is the most well known, as legend states that his red nose is used as a light to help control the sleigh. Before he was officially added onto Santa's list of reindeers, he was made fun of for his diversity, although his red nose ultimately came to his advantage and allowed him to be favored by Santa. These reindeers are also based on those in the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” or commonly called “The night before Christmas,” in 1823 as well.