All the places Santa calls home
20 December 2024
Christmas is just days away, which is an excellent – and maybe the only – occasion to talk about the cultural and economic force that is Santa Claus and his many "homes". The alleged homes that are spread across the northern hemisphere inspire wonder and attract visitors from around the globe, each location adding a unique chapter to the story of Santa’s magic and enduring influence.
Santa's presence is celebrated in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village in the snowy landscapes of Finland’s Lapland; in Uummannaq Greenland, where they sport a comically large post box for letters to Santa as well as his cozy cabin nearby; in North Pole, Alaska, home to the Santa Claus House and its festive memorabilia; and in Norway’s Drøbak, where the year-round Christmas House, Julehuset, welcomes letters to Santa from children across the world.
 | Mikael Kataja Finland’s Lapland stands out as his most iconic home, with the Santa Claus Village and the mystical Korvatunturi serving as the heart of a bustling seasonal tourism industry that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and fuels the region’s winter economy. Santa has become a universal symbol of Christmas, but this has only been the case since the turn of the 20th century. Through folklore, literature, and advertising, his modern image was shaped from the generous patron saint of children St Nicolas from modern-day Türkiye. |
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