FSogol's Advent Calendar Day 6: Santa's Home, Workshop, and Mailbox

[FSogol]

Santa's home is located in 101 Saint Nicholas Drive, North Pole, Alaska which is east of Fairbanks at milepost 14 on the Richardson Hwy.

In 1953 Davis, Alaska, changed its name to North Pole and adopted the slogan, "Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year 'Round." The town hoped to lure a toy factory that could then label its products, "Made at the North Pole."

Nellie and Con Miller, the North Pole's original Mrs. and Mr. Claus.

That didn't happen, but it did attract Con Miller, who would sometimes dress as Santa when he bartered for furs in surrounding villages. As he built his trading post, Miller was recognized by one of the neighborhood kids who yelled, "Hey, Santa! Are you building a new house?" Miller liked the idea and Santa Claus House was born. Con became North Pole's mayor, his wife Nellie was postmaster and marriage commissioner (She married thousands of couples in Santa Claus House). Together the Millers were known as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. When their daughter was born, they named her Merry Christmas Miller.
Con and Nellie are now gone, but their family still runs Santa Claus House

Also outside stands the World's Largest Santa, 42 feet tall with his boots anchored in a base of eight-foot-thick cement. He was built in 1968 by Wes Stanley of Stanley Plastics in Enumclaw, Washington; served as a seasonal display at the Westlake Mall in Seattle; then assumed similar duties outside the old Federal Building in Anchorage. Con Miller bought Santa for $4,500 and stood him permanently outside Santa Claus House with his new cement overshoes in 1984. "We have to be careful not to sweep snow off Santa on a 50-below day when the fiberglass is brittle," said Paul. "One year his arm fell off."

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11281

Santa's Workshop is located in Wilmington, New York

A hamlet full of permanent Christmas spirit holds one of the earliest theme parks in the United States. Santa’s Workshop opened its doors in 1949, and it’s been spreading Christmas cheer for six months of the year ever since. From June through December, visitors can expect to find a bustling group of classic North Pole characters—think elves, reindeer, and of course Santa himself—readying themselves for the holiday season.

Little has changed about the park since it first opened in the 1940s, giving it a retro feel. It lacks the high-tech bells and whistles of newer theme parks, giving it a particular vintage charm.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santas-workshop


Santa’s Mailbox is located in Nuuk, Greenland.
Thousands of letters to Santa get delivered to this mailbox in Greenland.

Every winter, thousands of letters addressed to Santa are routed to one mailbox in Nuuk, Greenland, where they are opened and read by a handful of volunteers from the small town of 17,000. When possible, the volunteers use Google Translate to deliver a handwritten response to the children (be they naughty or nice) in their native language.

In addition to letters, Santa’s mailbox also receives a handy amount of pacifiers in the mail. (Apparently, many parents ween their kids off of their pacifiers by having them mailed to St. Nick.)

The huge mailbox is located outside the Nuuk tourism office and is one of the major attractions in the city. It is emptied on December 24th each year, ready to receive a fresh batch of correspondence next winter.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santa-mailbox

[Angry Dragon]

1. nice stories

[FSogol]

2. Thanks. Who knew Santa had such a long commute to check his mail or go to his workshop?

[Angry Dragon]

3. it helps when you have a super sleigh

[FSogol]

4. No wonder he has to eat cookies in everyone's house. His kitchen is probably in Siberia.