Christmas is almost here! Did you know that Southern Indiana is home to the most magical Christmas town, Santa Claus, Indiana? Santa Claus, Indiana is known for its year-round Christmas and holiday cheer, and this time of year in this charming town is more magical than ever. Santa Claus, Indiana is home to the Santa Claus Museum & Village, the Santa Claus Post Office, Indiana’s very own Holiday World & Splashin Safari and a tall, 1935 Santa Claus statue. You can even spot Santa himself here, too! But how did this magical town get its holiday name?
One wintery evening back in the 1850’s in what was then known as Sante Fee, Indiana, the townspeople were all gathered in the local grocery store. The town had just become large enough to apply for their own post office; however, another town by the name of Sante Fee already existed.
As the townspeople gathered in the local store, they debated on what to name their cherished town. The children were outside playing in the snow as large fluffy flakes fell to the earth, enchanting the town around them. Many names were discussed, and ideas were thrown around, but it wasn’t until one townsperson heard sleigh bells outside that the town name came to fruition. It was then that the children shouted, “Santa Claus” and the rest is simply history.
Then in 1914, the town’s 14th postmaster, James Martin, began personally mailing response letters from Santa, to the homes of children who had written a letter to Santa and brought it to the local post office. To this day, children can still mail in their letters to Santa to this original post office and receive a letter back from Santa himself.
To learn more about this holiday enchanted town, click here. To read more about the other Southern Indiana holiday traditions, click here.
No matter how you choose to spend the holiday’s this season, we want you to stay safe! Due to COVID-19, visitors are required to practice safe social distancing protocol when in public.
Masks will be necessary to enter inside establishments and are to be worn in situations when social distancing is not possible. These safety measures should allow everyone to have fun, all while staying safe.
