Where Santa Claus lives. The story of a favorite character, and a review of Christmas houses in Eastern Lapland

Is Santa Claus a real person? Where did he come from and how did he become the character known all over the world? How old is Santa Claus? And, most importantly, where does he live? Read on to learn more about all this.

Who is Santa Claus and what does he look like?

Santa Claus is an integral part of Christmas. Today he is known mainly as the cheerful man in red who brings toys to good girls and boys on the eve of this holiday. His popular image is based on traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint of the 3rd-4th centuries.

The modern image of Santa Claus, which is probably familiar to all of us, was formed thanks to the illustrations of cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly in 1863. The inspiration for his work was the famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It was first published in 1823.

© North Wind Picture Archives

Another important moment in the history of the appearance of Santa Claus is associated with an advertisement created for the Coca-Cola company in 1931. Illustrator Haddon Sundblom depicted him as a genial, gray-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit.

© PRNewsFoto/The Coca-Cola Company/AP Images

Where and when was Santa Claus born?

The name “Santa Claus” comes from the Dutch “Sinter Klaas”, which is short for “Sint Nikolaas”.

But where did the legend of Santa Claus come from? Its roots go back as far as the life of Saint Nicholas, who is believed to have been born around 280 AD. e. in Patara, in modern Turkey. Saint Nicholas was famous for his mercy and generosity, especially towards the poor and needy. He is also known as the patron saint of children and sailors.

The feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6th. Traditionally, this day was considered successful for making large purchases or getting married. During the Renaissance, Saint Nicholas became the most popular saint in Europe, and his cult continued even after the Reformation. In America, they began to learn about it at the end of the 18th century.

Where does Santa Claus live?

There are several versions about this. According to the most famous one, his “residence” is located at the North Pole. It does not belong to any country, but is located in the Arctic, next to Greenland (Denmark) and Nunavut (Canada). They say that the same American cartoonist Thomas Nast came up with the idea. Next to his collection of Santa pictures was a sign stating that Santa's home was "near the North Pole, in the ice and snow."

However, there is another version, according to which he lives in Lapland forest, in the north of Scandinavia.

Lapland occupies the territory of Finland, Sweden, Norway and even Russia, and is located in the Arctic, like the North Pole. The official home of Santa Claus is the Finnish part of Lapland, the Korvatunturi region in Rovaniemi.

Regardless of his location, Santa Claus remains a symbol of kindness and generosity, bringing joy and uplifting the magical evening of Christmas.

Christmas houses in Eastern Lapland

Right now, there are houses for sale in Eastern Lapland in Finland that truly embody the good spirit of Christmas.

2-bedroom cottage 66 m²

Small cottage by the lake with bright interior

Cottage in the forest with 3 bedrooms, 61 m²

You can buy such houses for around €130,000.