Step inside the blizzard of myth, memory, and imagination that gave us Santa Claus—not just a jolly old man in red, but a character stitched together from the legends of saints, gods, and winter spirits across centuries. This episode peels back the layers of familiar holiday cheer to reveal the roots of Santa’s story, from Saint Nicholas’s secret gifts and Sinterklaas’s journeys to the Norse god Odin thundering through the night sky. Discover how a bishop’s kindness, a god’s wild hunt, and a dash of Victorian invention fused into the North Pole’s busiest resident. Along the way, we’ll meet reindeer with poetic names, peek into the bustling world of Santa’s elves, and tackle the real secret behind his magic: the power of belief itself. Santa’s true story isn’t just about toys and sleigh bells—it’s about the strange, enduring spark that keeps wonder alive when the nights are long and cold.
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