If there’s any one person who encapsulates Christmas magic, it’s Santa Claus. After all, he’s the main attraction of the holiday, since he’s the one who’s making that list and checking it twice, organizes the elves to make the toys, greets kids at the mall, and then hand delivers all the presents to the good little girls and boys of the world. Phew, it’s tiring just thinking about it. And since it’s definitely a job that requires a tremendous amount of stamina, you might wonder how old is Santa Claus?
Any time the image of Santa Claus comes to mind, what do you see? Most likely it’s an older gentleman who has a sparkling white beard. He typically wears spectacles, and wears a plush red suit that covers his big, round belly. It’s safe to assume that Mr. C. is, ahem, of a certain age, but really, how old is Santa Claus? It might surprise you to learn that Kris Kringle is actually a lot older than you might think.
To learn how old Santa Claus really is, you have to understand the origin of Santa Claus in the first place. Back in Patara (which is now modern-day Turkey), there was a monk named Saint Nicholas who performed many kind acts. He would give money to families so that their daughters wouldn’t have to become slaves, History.com reported. Saint Nicholas was also known for praying for sailors so that they would return home safely to their families. Over time, St. Nicholas became the patron saint of both children and sailors, and a feast in held on the anniversary of his death, which is December 6.
But when was Saint Nicholas born? Well, it’s estimated that St. Nick was born, (wait for it), between 260 and 280 A.D. And that means that as of 2021, Santa Claus is approximately 1,750 years old. That’s right, forget about being a centenarian — Santa Claus spans the millennium (almost two, in fact). So while you might have thought that St. Nick was probably the age of your grandfather, he’s really a lot older than that. And that makes what he’s able to accomplish (which is bringing joy to the world), that much more amazing — and magical, considering his advanced age.
A word of caution, though: Don’t bring up his age if you happen to spy him coming down your chimney this Christmas, because according to EmailSanta, Santa Claus stopped counting how old he is when he officially turned 550 years-old. Can’t say we blame him.