The origins of Santa’s secret address at North Pole

BEYOND THE MYTH

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

SO WE'VE all heard it growing up: “Santa lives at the North Pole!” Like some epic VIP address that makes every other “world famous” spot look sad by comparison.

But how did this icy little point on the globe become the festive hot spot in our imaginations? It all starts with a guy named Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from what's now Türkiye. Known for secretly gifting the needy, he became the OG Santa. That kindness turned into legend, and the legend kept shifting, like a really dramatic Snapchat filter, until someone decided he should have a permanent mailing address far, far away from the sun.