Notorious for carols, ugly sweaters, and the abundance of leisure time during a 2-week break, the jolly Christmas season brings everyone joy.  

Many young children believe that if they write a letter to a jolly old fat guy dressed in red, and provided they keep their act together for 11 months, he might show up on his magic sleigh, squeeze his cookie and milk stuffed belly down the chimney, and drop off a toy or 2 under the Christmas tree.

But who is this person, who is celebrated for breaking into houses yearly? Santa Claus! Also known as St. Nick or Nicholas, his image is often featured prominently, particularly by large companies such as Coca-Cola and Macy’s.

However, are the people longing to see Santa Claus in holiday commercials, or are they awash with dismay at their childhood hero being reduced to a glorified salesman? 

When it comes to the commercialization of good ol’ St Nick, people seem to like it, as seen with sophomore Gotham Padmnmanabhan. “It makes the little kids excited,” said Padmanabhan. However, sophomore Landon Action had a less positive view. “I like it because it spreads Christmas spirit, but I don’t like that they made him fat,” said Action.

So the consensus is that Santa is still a beloved icon of December. Even if he may be commercialized a little too far in the eyes of some.