The Christmas animation that brings another origin to Santa Claus

When the origin of Santa Claus is the subject, it is possible to conclude that the man who wears red costumes and leaves the North Pole to deliver gifts to children around the world emerged through a mixture of Christian and pagan traditions, and that the Bishop São Nicolau de Mira, who was known for his generosity, is the main inspiration for the good old man’s personality, right?

But, what if this popular Christmas character had no connection to religious beliefs, what would he be like? Well, an animation released in 2019 brought a different view of the story of Santa Claus, addressing the emergence of the iconic figure without any links to sacred texts, but maintaining all the characteristics that make him so loved by children.

What is the production?

The plot in question is “Klaus”, Netflix’s first original animated film! The story, which is available in the streaming platform’s catalog, takes shape through Jasper, heir to a delivery company, and the worst student at the Postman’s Academy, who, due to his spoiled behavior, receives a punishment: his father gives him gives the mission to work in Smeeresnburg, a tiny and icy forgotten island located above the Arctic Circle, and in one year, accumulate a total of 6 thousand letters.

The problem is that the grumpy residents who live there have disagreements with each other, after all, they are separated into two rival families, the Ellingboes and the Krums, who don’t even greet each other, and who, when they bump into each other, cause real chaos — in addition to which, of course, are not at all willing to send letters to anyone, making Jasper’s job difficult.

Still, when Jasper meets a man with long, white hair and beard, who despite his robust appearance, has a giant heart, named Klaus, everything changes! This is because the two end up starting a revolution that will transform the way Smeeresnburg works, and as a gift, they will give rise to one of the most beloved legends: that of the existence of Santa Claus.

Lumberjack Santa Claus?

That’s because Klaus is a lumberjack who, living isolated in the forest, hides an incredible ability: creating toys with his own hands, all of them made of wood. His house is full of them, and Jasper sees an opportunity to reach his letter goal, as the children could write to Klaus asking for different toys.

As a result, in addition to achieving his goal, Jasper accidentally resolves the fight that separated the people of Smeeresnburg, as the children, now with dolls, cars and many more objects in their hands, want to play together, making the adults had to overcome their differences for the greater good, giving meaning to a phrase said by Klaus: “a true altruistic act always awakens another”, which summarizes the main message of the film and Christmas.

And this is how a different Santa Claus is also born, whose similarities with the popular figure who became one of the symbols of December 25th are due to small coincidences, after all, Klaus was an ordinary man, whose elements that build his legend, such as the reindeer, the sleigh, the red clothes and the gifts, appear naturally in the story, as do the lessons of friendship, generosity and respect for difference.

More about Klaus

Animated in 2D format, “Klaus” is directed by the Spanish Sergio Pablos (co-creator of “Despicable Me”) and features Rodrigo Santoro and Daniel Boaventura as the voices of the main characters, Jasper and Klaus, respectively, in the national version of the dub.

The film won two of the biggest film awards in the Best Animated Feature category: the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, better known as BAFTA, which corresponds to the British Oscar, and the Annie Awards, the main award for animated works.

Also read: 5 films with Santa Claus to watch at Christmas