SANTA CLAUS: MAN, NOT A MYTH

There is a common myth that fairy tale figures like the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and The Sandman are fictional characters in folklore and have no relevance in real life.

The most famous perpetual example of this is Santa Claus, also often considered a fictional character. However, the truth remains that Santa Claus portrayed as a myth and not a real person with magical powers is an incredibly false and incorrect statement about the immortal humanitarian who breaks into each kid’s home via chimney (even if they don’t have one), eats the family’s milk and cookies regardless of their financial ability to afford them, and hands out presents that are relevant to the kid’s interests despite never meeting them.

The truth is that Santa is a real person and whoever continues to claim that Santa Claus is false should be sued by Mr. Claus for libel and/or slander.

The biggest excuse that skeptics use to falsely claim that Santa is not real is that Santa cannot deliver enough presents fast enough to all the kids in the globe. However, in this statement lies a big fallacy that must be addressed: There are requirements that kids must meet to receive a present from Santa in the first place.

The first of the requirements that skeptics forget is that you have to be on Santa’s Nice List. The Nice List is subjective, as the concept of “nice” is not universal everywhere. For example, a few countries do not have a negative view of plagiarism while in the United States, plagiarism is heavily frowned upon.

Because the concept of being nice is an inherently subjective term, this means Mr. Claus is selectively choosing which children are on his “Nice” list by using his own moral code and, likely, the moral compass of the period of time. As a result, Santa only chooses the nicest kids to put on his list, so that he is not over encumbered with his list of children to give presents to.

In contrast, it is also important to observe what it takes to be on Santa’s “Naughty” list. Aside from the obvious moral wrongdoings like murder or theft, it is important to consider the morally ambiguous scenarios. For example, if a kid punches their bully instead of reporting the bully to their principal, as children are normally instructed, while the community would say that the child’s actions are morally good overall, Santa may see it as a disregard for authority and use his own moral compass to put the child on his “Naughty” list.

Lastly, to be on any of Santa’s lists, a child will have to believe in Santa Claus in the first place.

In an observation done by CNN, only about 25% of 8-year-old children believe in Santa Claus. However, this survey was done only in the United States. There is also likely a loose correlation in the belief of Santa Claus in relation to atheism, which is shown by the controversy on whether or not children of atheist parents should “lie” (or tell the truth, rather) that Santa Clause is real. This suggests that there is a loose correlation between lack of religion and belief in Santa Claus. Going forward, according to an article written by The Big Think, there is a rise in atheism with the current population, being 38% in 2017 compared to 23% in 2005.

Overall, the load of presents that Santa Claus actually has to give is unaccounted for, and it is not to be understated that Santa Claus does not actually have as many presents to deliver as skeptics would argue.

It is also important to consider the logistics of Mr. Claus and how he manages to deliver presents promptly.

When it comes to speed, Santa rides in his sleigh, pulled by his reindeer, in the air where gravity starts to get weaker at higher altitudes.  Santa Claus has nine reindeer, and reindeer on the ground can pull about 300 pounds and can sprint about 50 miles per hour. Take into consideration that Claus’s reindeer are flying in the air where gravity is not weighting them down as much, this enables Santa’s sleigh to go unimaginably faster.

In addition, all of Santa’s reindeer are heavily implied to be extraordinary, aside from their ability to fly. Rudolph most famously has a red nose, which can shine throughout the night, so it is important to acknowledge Santa’s other reindeer are also exceptionally talented. Lastly, because Santa Claus also lives in the North Pole, he can go downward in any direction he needs fairly quickly.

All-in-all, because Santa has the advantage of flying at high altitudes, exceptional reindeer and a convenient starting location, it makes the logistics of delivering presents to kids – albeit, still a difficult one, still – manageable.

The belief that Santa Claus is a fictional character is understandable, as the sheer quantity of kids and the logistics of delivering presents to kids is a concept beyond the minds of ordinary people. However, Santa is far beyond an “ordinary” person. No person on Earth aside from him can achieve the level daring, drive, and talent it takes to zip across the globe with flying reindeer to deliver presents while figuring out which kids not only behaved throughout the year, but also believe in him.

The honest truth is that Santa Claus is a real person. Luckily, he will continue to go out into the world to bring joy during the jolly season shouting “Ho! Ho! Ho!” the entire night through.