WINNIPEG — He’s a long way from the North Pole and isn’t the boss of a bunch of elves, but he’s real all right.
Meet Christian Santa.
“My dad wanted to call me Tyrone,” said the 21-year-old Winnipegger. “My mom shut that down.
“I got made fun of a lot, but after a while you kind of expect it.”
Santa comes from a long line of Santas, a Spanish name that dates back hundreds of years with no particular Yuletide connection. These Santas, however, are an exception.
It was Christmas Eve when the first member of the family, Christian’s grandfather, emigrated to Canada.
His name? Rudolph.
Santa’s father, Lawrence, is a bus driver who once drove at the helm of Winnipeg’s Santa Bus. And if you’re wondering, yes, he has a white beard.
The Santas are close friends with a family named Claus and have relatives named North.