Santa Claus: The Man, The Myth and The Movies

Lauryn D, Patricia P, and Aaron R

June 17, 2026

Humanity has entered the dark age. Belief in Santa is at an all-time low, and parents no longer tell their children about the magic of Father Christmas. This issue is unfortunately caused by the dilution and bending of the truth, which have plagued cinemas, leading them to depict Santa Claus in such heretical forms.

The core doctrine of Santa Claus can be summed up in the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Indeed, Santa Claus is making a list and checking it twice, because he is going to find out who’s naughty or nice. Leaving milk and cookies out on Christmas Eve remains a fundamental tradition in Christmas. While it has been modernised with the addition of carrots for reindeer or GYG for the elves, the core aspects of the belief have remained the same. Eggnog is a liturgical beverage comparable to communion in Christianity. Participation is not mandatory but highly recommended for those wishing to avoid relocation to Antarctica.

Facts like this, alongside further doctrines (like the fact that if you don’t have the Christmas Spirit, you will unfortunately go to the South Pole), have been highly debated. Many Santa believers can be classified under three denominations:

The purists, who reject all cinematic depictions of Saint Nick
The classical believers, who only consider the classic Christmas movies to be accurate
The new generations, who take all movies as fact

The legitimacy of Christmas movies is extremely ambivalent. For example, Elf (2003) is widely believed to be purely metaphorical, but it really represents the internal journey of coming to this belief. In many ways, Buddy is all of us. The truth of The Polar Express (2004) is fiercely contested, with one Santa believer claiming, “Bro, there is NO way a train can drift on ice like that”. To that, we say, “Have you ever considered magic???”

The main argument people give me for not believing is the logistics argument. Sceptics often retreat to “logic” questioning how he produces gifts, what about elf labour laws, or how he fits in chimneys. We believe:

Production is obviously done through advanced magical manufacturing (pre-Industrial Revolution)

Labour is okay. Elves are not workers but are more like specialists in various areas. Also, the North Pole gets help from other countries (which is why your toys say Made in China)

To the people who think he’s a creep, your line of argument collapses when you remember he sees you when you’re sleeping for ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES only.

Below lies an interview transcript between an Interviewer, A non-believer and Some random guy, which reveals how movies have irrevocably changed modern society’s perception of the Christmas Spirit.

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I: Would you define yourself as someone who believes in Santa, or as someone who is going to the South Pole?

A: I definitely think I’m going to be going to the South Pole. I love penguins.

I: What do you think are your main reasons for not believing in Santa Claus?

A: Logistically, he wouldn’t fit in our society.

I: Why? Are you…fatphobic?

A: Um. No. As I was saying, his operations: how he produces gifts, how he gets the resources, and the labour of elves wouldn’t quite work. You’d get a lot of flak from the elves.

I: Oh, so you’re concerned about labour law violations.

A: Yes. In that essence, we can’t accept his existence. Because if we did, we’d have to accept his operations—and the fact that he’s a total creep, by the way.

I: What do you think about the Christmas spirit?

A: Oh, I love the Christmas Spirit.

S: Can I say something?

I: Yes.

S: If Santa existed and his spirit is to be generous, then how is it fair that lower-income families don’t get gifts even if they believe in Santa Claus?

I: Um…

[Recording ends]

—

In this interview, a particularly devastating question was posed. We must admit this remains one of the great unsolved questions of Santa studies—the Gift Distribution Paradox. Current theories in this include parental co-authorship of Santa’s work. Some people believe that Santa has regional discrepancies in belief intensity, but it could also be due to late submissions to the naughty/nice database.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Menu Card declares that belief in Santa makes up a fundamental aspect of being a child, claiming “…let them, if they will, divest Santa Claus of his beard and his furs, but let them hold fast to the ideal of the patron saint, the friend and benefactor, of childhood.” Santa Claus, the myth, resonates across time. Despite denominations, despite naughty or nice lists, and despite the heretical nature of modern Santa Claus movies, the Christmas spirit invites us all in.

So,

Even if you question the sleigh

Even if you doubt the elves

Even if you think you’re okay with going to the South Pole

You must ask yourself.

Do you really want to risk it???

Because remember: Santa is