santa claus sat on his icy throne in the snowy arctic, thinking about how beloved he used to be. the laughter of children, the warm thank-you letters from families, and the little cookies left out for him every year… all of it was in the past. no more letters arrived. the laughter of children had been replaced by tiktok videos. people hardly dared to say the name “santa claus” anymore—it was almost like a crime.
once the most loved figure in the world, santa claus was now an outcast.
“is santa claus an agent of exploitation?”
it all began with a social media post. someone said:
“santa claus is the face of capitalism. forcing people to buy gifts is economic oppression.”
the idea spread like wildfire in just a few years.
“who is this santa claus? why does he judge our children as ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’?”
“santa claus represents white supremacy. an old white man living in the arctic, ruling over the entire world.”
“santa claus reinforces gender roles. where is mrs. claus?”
santa watched these debates from his home in the arctic and sighed deeply. yes, he was old. yes, he was white. yes, he had called children “naughty” or “nice.” but hadn’t he done it to bring joy? hadn’t he wanted to make people happy? he hadn’t realized how fragile they were.
“the cold face of rejection”
the first major blow came from america. a massive shopping mall removed the santa claus character from its events.
“it’s not appropriate for your children to sit on a stranger’s lap for photos. besides, this figure is outdated and toxic.”
then, voices in europe rose:
“santa claus perpetuates consumerism. we need to teach families that they don’t have to buy gifts.”
even the elves, who had worked for decades preparing for christmas night, rebelled.
“why are we paid so little? why are our working hours so long? we refuse to be slaves to this system.”
santa tried to understand them. maybe they were right. but it was impossible to make everyone happy.
the end of christmas
in 2028, the united nations officially declared santa claus “a figure harmful to children.” the santa claus character was banned worldwide.
when children woke up on christmas morning, the space under the tree was empty. people barely remembered the name “santa claus.”
but in the arctic, an old man still wore his red coat and continued making toys. he didn’t know who to give them to. no one wanted him. but he kept doing it anyway. because being santa claus was no longer a mission; it was an identity.
his last night
one christmas night, santa prepared his sleigh for the last time. his reindeer, with their glowing red noses, were old now. the elves were gone. but he rose into the sky anyway.
this time, he didn’t stop at any child’s home.
flying over the world, santa watched the people. they sat in their homes, staring at their screens, disconnected from one another. they were unhappy even without the pressure of gifts and trees.
“you don’t want me,” he thought. “but you haven’t learned how to be happy without me, either.”
finally, he drove his sleigh into the darkness. he disappeared. people never heard from santa claus again.
the final message
a year later, an empty workshop was discovered in the arctic. on the wall, these words were carved:
“i wanted your happiness. you didn’t want me. now, who will you blame?”
this story was about the end of santa claus as a legend. people had destroyed him with their own hands. but along with him, they had lost joy and optimism, too.
