Santa Claus

Bruce Auster's mother, Sylvia, in an old family photo. Originally from Brooklyn, she met her husband Stanley when they both worked at Macy's on 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

Arts

Is Santa Real? A Doubting Brother And The Gift Of A Mother's Voice

6:07pm December 23, 2018

by Bruce Auster

As a kid, NPR editor Bruce Auster loved to record his family talking. A snippet of tape captured by chance on a long-ago December night marked a moment before cancer changed everything for his family.

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U.S. Northern Command Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Charles D. Luckey joins volunteers taking phone calls from children during the annual NORAD Tracks Santa Operation, at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Photo tak

Tracking Santa Tradition Is Serious Fun For NORAD

3:14pm December 24, 2017

by Amy Held

The longstanding tradition has reportedly become the biggest single public outreach program for the Defense Department, according to Politico. More than 100 thousand kids reach out each Christmas Eve.

Arts

I'm Dreaming Of A (Black And Brown And Native And) White Christmas

6:00am December 23, 2017

by Leah Donnella

In need of some racially diverse children's Christmas literature? Here's our holiday Code Switch sampler.

Retired American photographer Tom Haley, 66, portrays Santa during a pageant in Normandy.

World News

How An American Became Santa In A Little Town In France

5:55pm December 22, 2017

by Eleanor Beardsley

An American with a home in the French town of Vimoutiers, in Normandy, looks so much like Santa that the locals want him to play the part.

Kids start to question surprising claims made by others by the time they are in early elementary school, according to a new study.

Science

Kids Start To Test Surprising Claims By Early Elementary School

1:49pm December 18, 2017

by Tania Lombrozo

As many families prepare for a visit from Santa, and some face questions about the jolly old man in the red suit, a new study looks at how children react to surprising claims, says Tania Lombrozo.

First lady Nancy Reagan sits on the knee of Mr. T, dressed as Santa Claus, and gives him a peck on the head, as he joined her for a preview of the White House Christmas decor in 1983.

I Saw First Ladies Kissing Santa Claus (And A First Dog Dressed As Him)

6:00am December 25, 2016

by Domenico Montanaro

Through the years, first families have done plenty with Santa — from singing and dancing (Obama) to reading (Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton) to a celebrity kiss or two (Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush).

Generation after generation has sat in the lap of this Santa Claus. This year baby Michael Sykes IV got a portrait with New Orleans' Seventh Ward Santa.

Arts

New Orleans' Beloved Santa Makes The Twitterverse Believe In Christmas Magic

1:17pm December 23, 2016

by Agerenesh Ashagre

Joy to the ward! New Orleans' ageless Seventh Ward Santa Claus inspires a Twitter reunion of generations.

Jolly old Santa himself. Unpictured: the sweat, pain and — possibly? — tears that went into tracing his form on the map.

Dancer, Prancer, Runner — And Artist? Holiday Cheer, Courtesy Of GPS

4:47pm December 22, 2016

by Colin Dwyer

Glancing at a map, Owen Delaney noticed a London park's fountain resembled Rudolph's big nose. So, he decided to trace the famous reindeer by tracking his run. Then he tackled other holiday favorites.

Larry Jefferson was the first black Santa Claus at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

Black Santa Claus Is A Hit At Mall Of America, But Faces An Online Backlash

8:59am December 10, 2016

by NPR Staff

Larry Jefferson was the first black Santa Claus at the Mall of America in Minnesota. He was popular with the kids, but he sparked on online backlash from people who felt Santa can only be white.

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A Victorian family gathers to stir pudding in a Christmas card illustration from the 1870s. The Victorian era put a premium on hospitality, which may have helped create the tradition of leaving out treats for a visiting Santa.

How Did Santa Get Hooked On Cookies And Milk?

4:20pm December 22, 2015

by Kylie Mohr

Turns out the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa hasn't left much of a trail of crumbs to trace through history. But it might start with the early cookies of 13th-century Europe.