# So how much does it cost each year for our governemnt to track "Santa"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-does-it-cost-each-year-for-our-governemnt-to-track-santa/478758>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 26, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-does-it-cost-each-year-for-our-governemnt-to-track-santa/478758 "2008-12-26T18:37:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-does-it-cost-each-year-for-our-governemnt-to-track-santa/478758/21 "2008-12-27T21:05:16Z")

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The GQ humour cloaking device worked quite well there, I thought. As late as post 6, people still appeared to take the OP quite seriously. A really impressive display of earnestness.  
I maintain that, with powerful enough telescopes, we might be able to infer evidence of a sense of humour in these people.

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**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-does-it-cost-each-year-for-our-governemnt-to-track-santa/478758/22 "2008-12-27T21:22:36Z")

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> [@Shagnasty](#):
>
> What evidence do you have that Santa is Christian? Everything that I have heard from both him and others is that he is some sort of pagan/agnostic that likes to do good deeds and he does them well. I personally met Santa when I was young a few times and he never tried to push any biblical ideals on me at all. I even know families that DO NOT go to church and he still gives the kids presents year after year without expecting anything in return. I don’t want to let this degenerate into a religious debate but there are not even any churches at the North Pole as far as I know.
> 
> Why do you say that?

I was kidding, but I’d say the name is a pretty big clue: Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas, a saint of the Christian church.

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-does-it-cost-each-year-for-our-governemnt-to-track-santa/478758/23 "2008-12-27T21:36:35Z")

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> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> I was kidding, but I’d say the name is a pretty big clue: Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas, a saint of the Christian church.

I’m sure a Saint of the Christian Church wouldn’t have been caught kissing my mum under the mistletoe, would he? 😕 I always thought it was my Dad. ☹

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