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[[Image:Thomas Nast Santa Claus.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast]]

[[Image:Thomas Nast Santa Claus.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Santa Claus, by Thomas Nast]]

[[Image:Christmas Eve 1862.jpg|thumb|'''Christmas Eve 1862.''' Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.]]

[[Image:Christmas Eve 1862.jpg|thumb|'''Christmas Eve 1862.''' Nast shows the wife and husband thinking of each other on Christmas Eve. The illustrations in the top corners show Santa visiting homes and military camps.]]

: ''This article is about the imaginary Christmas gift-giver. For the real-life saint, see [[Saint Nicholas]].''

: ''This article is about the Christmas gift-giver. For the saint, see [[Saint Nicholas]].''

'''Santa Claus''', or simply "Santa", is an imaginary character and an [[United States of America|American]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] popular cultural icon, likely brought over from [[Germany|German]]-speaking countries, the [[Low Countries]], and [[Scandinavia]]. He has been a regular staple of the North American observance of [[Christmas]] for about two centuries or more, and as well as much of the world.  Santa Claus is said to bring presents to good children every Christmas, ride a flying sleigh pulled by eight fictional reindeer and live at the [[North Pole]].

'''Santa Claus''', or simply "Santa", is an [[United States of America|American]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] popular cultural icon, likely brought over from [[Germany|German]]-speaking countries, the [[Low Countries]], and [[Scandinavia]]. He has been a regular staple of the North American observance of [[Christmas]] for about two centuries or more, and as well as much of the world.  Santa Claus brings presents to good children every Christmas, rides a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer and lives at the [[North Pole]].

 

As Santa Claus is not real, typically, after the children have fallen asleep, parents play the role of Santa Claus and leave their gifts under the Christmas tree. Tags on gifts for children are sometimes signed by their parents "From Santa Claus" before the gifts are laid beneath the tree.

== Origins ==

== Origins ==