Santa Facts

US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second.

There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.

Santa Claus has many different names around the world including Father Christmas in the UK, Père Noël in France, Weihnachtsmann in Germany, Julenisse in Denmark, Ded Moroz (meaning Grandfather Frost) in Russia, Babbo Natale in Italy, and Papai Noel in Brazil.

Each year, Canada Post receives a million letters addressed to "Santa Claus, The North Pole, H0H 0H0". They reply to every one.