In the US, Santa Claus instead comes down the chimney when no one is looking, and he eats cookies instead of porridge. In American tradition, Santa also has flying reindeer.
– I think that comes from the United States. I have not come across this in the Nordics before. It has to do with reindeer being associated with the North Pole, says Jonas Engman.
According to most opinions, Santa Claus belongs to the North Pole. And in these stories, the North Pole is a place that both exists and does not exist, according to Engman.
That kind of paradox is common in rituals and traditions, and not least when it comes to Santa Claus, he claims.
– He is both good and evil. He is old and overweight, but distributes Christmas presents all over the world.
In the video, Jonas Engman tells more about the character and origin of Santa Claus.