Why Santa Claus Has Canadian Citizenship

For centuries, the fabled St. Nick has been the focal point of the Christmas season in all of its changing forms over the years, but the Santa Claus most of us know is the one that decks himself in red from head to toe, sports an ivory white beard that looks like an avalanche falling down his body, and looks darn good slugging a frosty Coca-Cola in the middle of winter. On the other hand, did you ever notice the similarity between ol' Father Christmas's garb and a certain national flag that flies high above the Great White North? That's right: We're talking about Canada. 

While the debate continues over whether or not Santa Claus himself is real, his proof of citizenship certainly is. According to Harlan York & Associates, a firm specializing in immigration law, the upper provinces of North America declared asylum for Mr. Claus a few years back and officially made him a Canadian citizen. 

"We wish Mr. Claus all the best in his Christmas Eve duties again this year. And rest assured, as a Canadian citizen living in Canada's North, he can re-enter Canada freely once his trip around the world is complete," said Jason Kenney, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister, in 2010, just two years after he first declared that Santa Claus and his wife, Mrs. Claus, were being offered Canadian citizenship (via National Post Canada).

As Harlan York & Associates reports, the region known as the North Pole that Santa is famously known to occupy 364 days out of the year "lies in an area between Russia, Norway, Canada, the United States, and Denmark." However, Canada's Kenney was the first political entity to offer the rosy-cheeked reindeer-tamer a place to officially call home. Canadians are famously reputed to be immensely hospitable and welcoming, so we can rest assured knowing that Mr. and Mrs. Claus are in good year-round company among their fellow countrymen. 

When little Johnny and Susie sit down every year to write out their list of most desired toys, an old-school trip to the post office might follow suit. Believe it or not, those letters don't just get lost in the mail like those socks of yours that mysteriously go missing in the laundry. According to Global News, Canada not only offered Santa Claus legal citizenship, but they even gave the children of the world an official address to send their letter to: Santa Claus, North Pole HOH OHO.

In a remarkable display of Christmas spirit, a group of seasonal volunteers in Canada get together each Christmas to write out thorough replies to hopeful kiddies across the globe. The letters are penned in over 30 different languages to accommodate as many participants as possible, and over 1 million replies are sent out each year (per Global News). It would appear that Canada has taken its commitment to Santa Claus very seriously, so we're hard pressed to name a better nation for him to call home. 

As it turns out, Canada isn't the only nation that wants to call Santa Claus one of its own. The nation of Finland once declared that Santa lives within the proximity of its borders, high up in a certain region that occupies part of the North Pole. However, they say he doesn't need documents to prove it. "What would Santa need a citizenship and passport for? He's older than states and above such bureaucracy," an unnamed Finnish ambassador to Canada remarked. "After all, he can fly over borders with his reindeer. And for Santa, every child in the world is equally dear, regardless of citizenship" (via Harlan York & Associates). 

Each year, Finnish citizens and tourists from across the world can visit Santa Claus Village, where the big man in red is reputed to spend a good part of the Christmas season. The facility is located in Rovaniemi, in the Lapland region of Finland, and offers an immersive holiday experience complete with its very own Santa Claus who loves to spread Christmas cheer. He even contributes to philanthropic efforts that a good part of the village's profits are dedicated to. 

Given the astonishing amount of international travel that Santa Claus is known to engage in each year, you'd think that coming and going might get a little problematic. However, Canada has assured Santa and the world at large that his passport grants him full legal autonomy to come and go as he pleases without having to waste time dealing with border and immigration customs. They even hosted an official ceremony in 2013 to ensure his generous travel benefits (per Harlan York & Associates). 

"Santa and Mrs. Claus live in North Pole, Canada, with their many helpers. Like so many Canadian citizens who enjoy extensive travel around the world, the Clauses were thrilled to receive their ePassports — which are among the world's most accepted and secure travel documents," declared Chris Alexander, then Citizenship and Immigration Minister, at the 2013 public ceremony in Toronto (per The Globe and Mail). The Christmas season is all about giving, even and especially when it comes to giving back to the one who gives more than anyone else. It can be a tough job delivering presents to billions of children across the globe every year, and as every business traveler knows, having a place to come home to at the end of a long journey is one of the greatest, most luxurious gifts of all.