Yes! You read that correctly. There is a Santa Claus and he is a 70 year-old who lives in North Pole, Alaska. I know- I’m as surprised as you are! The North Pole exists!
It is a little town of population 2,200 where Santa Claus was elected to a three-year term in 2015 as city councilman.
According to the Alaska Daily News, Santa Claus was once named Thomas Patrick O’connor. He was born in Washington, D.C and has lived all over the United States.
He was an Anglican monk. He was also an advocate for Children’s Protective Services in Nevada. He served as a New York Police Official and has run for president twice as a write-in candidate.
12 years ago, Mr. O’Connor legally changed his name to “Santa Claus.” Why- you wonder? Well, he had a rather genuine and selfless reason. The rosy-cheeked, white-bearded American said that the holiday persona he has adopted helps him garner attention from legislators and the media, allowing him to campaign for legislation that will help protect children’s health and safety.
To complete his transformation from Tom O’Connor to Santa Claus, he moved to North Pole in 2013. When he campaigned for the election, You are right to wonder if he wore a red velvet suit; because he did. During the campaign, he had a sign that read: “Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round.”
After years of having to let your kids believe in Father Christmas one year, then having to explain to them that he isn’t real, in the next; wouldn’t this be a wonderful story to share with your kids? You finally get to tell them that “a” Santa Claus does exist, after all. 🙂
Source: mentalfloss.com
