7 Things You Didn’t Know About Santa Claus

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it only fitting to do some fun and festive facts to start off your week. Some you may or may not already know:

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Santa Claus

1. The original Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in Anatolia (modern day Turkey), around 270 AD and had a reputation for secretly giving gifts to those in need!

2. Santa’s suit was originally green before the colour red was used in paintings and famously used in Coca-cola’s advertisements!

3. Santa Claus has different names across the world including: Saint Nicholas, St Nick, Father Christmas, Black Peter, Kris Kringle, Pere Noel, La Befana, SinterKlaas and just simply Santa.

4. Santa Claus has nine reindeer in total including: Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen! Rudolph, the most famous of Santa’s reindeer is the latest recruit, having joined the team in 1939.

5. Santa Claus was a bachelor until around 1849 when a spouse (Mrs Claus) was mentioned in a short story, ‘A Christmas Legend’ by James Rees.

6. Coca-cola was the first company to use an image of Santa Claus for promotional and advertising purposes in the early 1930’s, designed by artist, Haddon Sundblo.

7. Santa has 31 hours to deliver all his presents to children across the world (thanks to the time zone differences). Santa has to travel roughly 510,000,000 km on Christmas Eve, travelling at 10,703,437.5km/hr, or about 1,800 miles per second, all night without stopping in order to deliver all his Christmas presents.

Joe Robbins

(Director) BBS (Hons), MBPICS – Shannon Office

Joe Robbins is co-founder of CareerWise Recruitment. A graduate of the University of Limerick (Degree in Business Studies, 1985), Joe worked in the UK for five years where he specialised in materials management, production management and plant management for a number of companies.

He returned to Ireland in 1992 to become Operations Manager for a Cork-based start-up, FMC Automotive Division which was subsequently taken over by Snap-on Equipment. Joe managed the business re-location of this company to Shannon in 1997 before setting up CareerWise Recruitment in 1999.

He is a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Mid-West region, and a former Director and Vice President of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce. Joe is former Chairperson of the Sixmilebridge Camogie Club and current Chairperson of the Clare County Camogie Board.

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