Legend has it in much of the world that Santa Claus comes from the North Pole. We have asked a group of Santa’s elves working hard at The Switch at this time of year to see what they might know…
“It’s been believed for quite a long time that Santa Claus comes from the North Pole. In fact, this tradition can be tracked back to 1820s,” one elf ventured to say. “And today, there’s even an entire website dedicate to today’s online-savvy children to teach them more about the North Pole and Santa’s Secret Village. You can visit it by going to www.northpole.com.”
Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist, published his Christmas image in the Harper’s Weekly in 1866, suggesting that Santa Claus’s home was “near the North Pole, in the snow and ice.” – and from there, this idea stuck with hopeful good girls and boys in many parts of the world.
However, there’s another side to the story that is often kept well hidden. Another elf whispers: “Have you ever heard of the place up north in Lapland call Korvatunturi? The Finns have long believed that this is the real home of Santa. The local post office receives over 600,000 letters every year from over 198 different countries. You, too, can send your wish list to Santa Claus’s Main Post Office, Santa’s Workshop Village, FIN-96930, Arctic Circle.”
At Santa’s home in Korvatunturi, Finland, right near the North Pole, you’ll find a whole village full of joyful Christmas spirit. Besides getting an official certificate confirming you’ve crossed the Arctic Circle, you’ll find out that sleighs pulled by reindeer really do exist!
Fact or fiction? Christmas is a time of true magic. It’s a time of giving and sharing; spending time together with family and friends; building lasting memories. That’s why the best place to find the true Santa is in your heart…
This story is featured in Switching on Frequently 05/2012.
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