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Stuff You Don’t Know About Santa

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Stuff You Don't Know About Santa

North Pole PodcastStuff you don’t know about Santa is the topic of conversation in this special episode of the North Pole Podcast.

By request from several teachers and many parents we were asked to do a podcast episode about the more unknown things about Santa Claus. With so many missing school or under quarantine due to the Coronavirus people are spending more time than ever trying to learn new things about Santa, what he does and how he does it.

This episode is a real surprise. Joining Elves Frank Myrrh and Crash Murphy of North Pole Radio News is Elf Dr. Grant Smedley, profession of Santa history at Southern North Pole University.

Dr. Smedley is not only a Santa historian he is also Santa’s official biographer.

It was thought that Dr. Smedley would be the one who shares a lot of new information in this episode. But instead he turns the table on Frank and Crash and we end up hearing two fantastic stories of the modern-day Santa that nobody has ever heard.

From these stories we learn a great deal about Santa that we didn’t already know.

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Stuff You Don’t Know About Santa

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Things to Know About Reindeer

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Things to Know About Reindeer
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Reindeer are essential to Santa’s mission. Santa simply cannot be Santa without his reindeer.

But what do you really know about them?

The late arrival of Santa’s reindeer to the North Pole in 2020 has caused lots of mail to arrive at the North Pole with questions about Santa’s reindeer. People want to know more about them, what they like and don’t like, how they learn to fly and how many reindeer Santa actually has.

Elf Crash Murphy has a special place in the work of Santa because, like Santa, he flies around the world every Christmas in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Crash is North Pole Radio News’ eye in the sky reporter, whose job it is to follow Santa every Christmas and to report on what Santa is doing. Crash knows not only the reindeer of Santa’s sleigh but also of his own sleigh and he knows a lot about them.

In this special episode Crash shares some things we guarantee you have never heard about the reindeer. In this episode we learn new things about Rudolph, Vixen and Cupid.

Crash also dispels some bad information out there about reindeer, things that are conveyed in books, movies and songs about reindeer that just are not true.

You don’t want to miss this episode if you are curious about reindeer.

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Things to Know About Reindeer

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North Pole Podcast
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Tracking Santa App Update

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Tracking Santa App

Tracking Santa AppThe Tracking Santa App is coming! In this merry and brief episode of the North Pole Podcast Elf Frank Myrrh talks with Elf Winslow, who was put in charge of the app project last spring.

Elf Winslow confirms that the app is coming this year. He spoke of the instruction Santa gave about the app and what he had heard of what people wanted in a tracking app. Key to the project is the Santa tracking map that people want on their phones.

Winslow confirms this feature will be available — along with North Pole Radio via Kringle Radio that features North Pole Radio News. Tracking Santa on the map then will match tracking Santa on the radio and app users will have both in one convenient place.

The app is in testing now and should be available for Android users soon. The Apple version of the app will become available later.

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Tracking Santa App Update

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North Pole Podcast
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North Pole Halloween

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North Pole Halloween
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North Pole PodcastThe North Pole Halloween party is one that we cover in the news every year. It’s a big deal. And we have been getting a lot of questions about it.

So Frank and Crash decided to sit down in the studios of Kringle Radio to discuss where Halloween comes from and why we celebrate it here at the North Pole.

As you will likely hear in our news coverage the modern day Halloween at the North Pole means a big costume contest for the elves and a massive Halloween party for everyone here at the North Pole. Most famously, this big party usually ends in a food fight.

We never know for sure if that is going to happen. But it usually does.

There will be some news that comes out later this week about the costume contest, including the plans for Santa and Mrs. Claus. They love Halloween especially because it gives them the opportunity to really surprise the elves. They usually do it with their costumes.

But we understand why people have questions. It is easy to know where Christmas comes from but understanding where and why Halloween is from is something else altogether. In this episode Elf Crash answers this question.

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: North Pole Halloween

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Northpole Podcast
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Santa, the North Pole and the Virus

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Santa, the North Pole, and the Virus

Breaking News from the North PoleGreetings! The questions we are receiving about Santa, the North Pole and the virus are overwhelming the North Pole Post Office these days.

Santa very much understands your concerns. After all, you are dealing with incredible disruptions to your family, home, school and work on account of the virus — so why wouldn’t it affect Santa and the North Pole, too?

Santa has ask me today to give you a candid update about the situation and more specifically what the North Pole plans to do about it all.

As we have previously reported the North Pole has not suffered as much from the virus as many other areas of the world.

In February, the North Pole stopped all travel in and out of the North Pole Sleigh Port.

Like nearly everywhere else, the North Pole then went into a mode of keeping people healthy, trying to educate them about sanitary practices such as washing hands more often, and monitoring elves very closely for any signs of sickness.

To date there has not been a single case of the Coronavirus at the North Pole. Santa and Mrs. Claus likewise have so far been able to avoid the disease.

As Christmas approaches the concerns remain: What if Santa travels the world and then catches the virus? What will happen if Santa has the virus when Christmas comes? Will Christmas then be canceled? What if the virus is present in a home at Christmastime – will Santa just skip that house? Will Santa wear a mask? 

These are all real questions that we have received, as well as thousands of others that are similar in nature.

Santa wants you to know that Christmas will happen this year. Many plans have been put in place to ensure that Santa will be able to deliver, on time, as he does every year.

We will work all season here at SantaUpdate.com to address these concerns.

Additionally, we invite you to listen to a new episode of the North Pole Podcast about this particular issue.

Santa does have plans. It is very clear he will not be able to visit in person with many people leading up to Christmas. This is for the safety of everyone involved. We are working on a number of solutions that will help people have a connection with Santa as much as possible this Christmas, including:

  • Scheduled chats with Santa at various venues on the Internet, including right here on SantaUpdate.com
  • There will be limited opportunities for brief private online chats with Santa — for free, of course
  • SantaUpdate will be providing greater news coverage this year
  • North Pole Radio News will begin online sharing of their news reports on November 1st this year — earlier than ever
  • Discussions on the North Pole Podcast will continue to focus on the status of the virus for Santa and the North Pole.
  • We have expanded the reach of the North Pole Post Office to all official sites of the North Pole so that folks can send wishlists to Santa
  • You can receive news reports via text. Please visit JingleKringle.com for more details
  • You can call Santa’s office. Please see SantasVoicemail.org for more details.
  • Santa is making himself more available to the media this year for interviews

We would remind you to never pay for access to Santa Claus. Santa is always FREE. Unfortunately, in a year like this, there will be a lot of fake Santas out there for sale. Please do not engage with them.

Santa does have very specific plans, and backup plans, to cover Christmas around the world this year. The effort will involve more reindeer, more elves and more people than ever. Please check in often here at Santa Update for more information as it becomes available.

And please — keep sending us your questions. We will continue to do all we can to answer them.

Elf Ernest

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Santa, the North Pole and the Virus

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Christmas Hall of Fame
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Podcast Bio: Santa Claus

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Podcast Bio: Santa Claus
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Santa Claus is fairly recent entrant on the Christmas stage. At least compared to some others nominated for induction into the Christmas Hall of Fame. His actual date of origin cannot be definitively determined. But for well over 200 years he has been at the center of that Christmas stage.

As Dutch and German immigrants settled into the North Eastern United States they brought traditions of St. Nicholas with them as they celebrated Christmas.

Their images, their customs, their names and their traditions for St. Nicholas all varied just a little. But artists looking to unify the community by quelling the raucous celebration of Christmas on the streets (especially in New York City and in Philadelphia) looked to St. Nicholas as a symbol of what Christmas could be: peaceful, giving, and joyous.

While evidence suggests several works that attempted to unify the image of a Christmas gift-bringer there is one poem that delivered on that hope and gave rise to the individual we now know as Santa Claus.

~ Santa Claus: Born in New York? ~

That poem was A Visit from St. Nicholas, a little work written by a father on Christmas Eve for his children. He was a distinguished man of education. He never intended for the poem to be used outside of his family. His name is Clement Clark Moore, and he too, because of his poem, is nominated for the Christmas Hall of Fame.

In this first episode of the Christmas Hall of Fame podcast we explore the impact of Moore’s poem and the stature it created for the man most just call Santa.

He is recognizable around the world instantly. He beloved by millions.

Santa Claus had the good fortune of coming to the public mind during a time of media explosion. First he was known in print, then in painted art, and then in song. For more than 30 years after the first publishing of Moore’s poem, he enjoyed a kind of singular Christmas existence — he was for the children.

But as his traditions and the stories of him expanded into music, then recorded music and finally into film making that would take him from the Silver Screen to every small screen now available today, Santa’s influence has been unstoppable.

Merchants and marketers use him as a salesman. Parents use him to create Christmas magic. Historians use him as an example of how media has spread influence.

Thankfully, we have a solid record of nearly two-hundred years of Santa’s goodness. His generosity, creativity and influence for good have been documented by young and old alike for generations.

He is one of the more enduring elements of Christmas. He is modernized by art yet at the same time honored as tradition. He occupies a unique place in the history of Christmas.

~ About the Christmas Hall of Fame Podcast ~

This first episode of the Christmas Hall of Fame Podcast begins a new level in our outreach for more votes.

Each episode will focus on nominees. But we do not want the voices heard to be ours alone.

We invite podcasters, historians, radio DJs and other interested parties to voice these episodes or to lend their own podcasts in support of candidates for the Christmas Hall of Fame.

The Christmas Hall of Fame is all about the voice of those who celebrate Christmas.

We believe in the years ahead we can make an impact on the history of Christmas by documenting Christmas in this way — through the voice of the people. If you vote, you let future generations know just the who, what, when and where of Christmas that our generations wanted remembered.

We hope you make your voice heard first by voting — and then by sharing the efforts we make here, including the Christmas Hall of Fame Podcast.

Listen to this episode of the Christmas Hall of Fame Podcast
Author: Jeff Westover
Title: Podcast Bio: Santa Claus

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Northpole Podcast
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Tracking Santa with the North Pole

North Pole PodcastTracking Santa with the North Pole is a whole new level in Santa tracking. We have been doing it here at the North Pole for decades but for the world at large it has only been available for the last 30 years or so.

It is not like Santa tracking you see anywhere else online or offline.

The North Pole Flight Command Center at the North Pole tracks Santa as part of their job. They not only get Santa and his sleigh off the ground but they follow him every stop of the way. They are the first trackers of Santa.

Their job is to keep Santa’s sleigh loaded, to keep Santa on time, to keep him safe, and to return him home.

That is a very big job.

It requires the help of thousands of sleighs and reindeer — plus millions of elves around the world. We call them Tracker Elves.

In this episode of the North Pole Podcast Elves Frank Myrrh, Crash Murphy and Roger Star hold a discussion about why elves love the work of tracking Santa.

Elf Roger Star is the International Director of Santa Trackers. If you do see him online, most of the time it is posting direction to trackers at SantaTrackers.net, a private website just for elves. That site is used to recruit, train and work with Tracker Elves around the world.

Elf Crash Murphy, as you know, has a special role in tracking Santa. He follows Santa’s sleigh on Christmas as an eye-in-the-sky reporter for Kringle Radio. During the rest of the year he works to recruit and train new elves (and to answer general questions about Santa, the elves and life at the North Pole from his many radio listeners).

Frank, Crash and Roger bring you up to date in this episode of all the things the North Pole Flight Command Center is doing to help Tracker Elves this Christmas.

They discuss how anyone who believes in Santa can become an elf themselves and start their elf career by tracking Santa for Santa, right in their own home.

This is a groundbreaking episode for anyone new to Santa Update or tracking Santa.

You can always track Santa on your own, using inferior tracking services on the Internet. Or you can track Santa as one of his elves with those other who track Santa for Santa.

We think you will like our experience better. This episode will teach you how all those tracking pieces fit together.

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Tracking Santa with the North Pole

Visit NorthPolePodcast.com to explore the archives!

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Merry Little Podcast
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The Victorian Christmas Part VI

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The Victorian Christmas Part VI
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Merry Little PodcastOur series on the Victorian Christmas concludes with an in-depth look at the stuff of Christmas – the décor, the music, the food and the celebration.

We also get a good look at the fads, which include the runaway tradition of Christmas cards that, for some, got a bit out of hand. The dialogue, the poetry and the debates of Christmas cards are discussed as part of an exploration of the relationships between men and women – and they their gift giving differed during the late 19th century.

We also share the unforgotten classical Christmas music of the Santa Claus Christmas Symphony, a masterpiece written before Jingle Bells in the early 1850s and we explain why it hasn’t achieved the well-known status of other Christmas music of the time. You can hear this great piece of music via this video:

The Victorian Era closes with the well-known story of Virginia O’Hanlon and her query “Is there really a Santa Claus?” You know that story.

But what you might not know is why she could have posed the question in the first place. We explore the blow back that developed late in the 1890s not only to the idea of Santa Claus but also to the idea of the Christmas tree, Christmas decorating and holiday gift giving.

No discussion of this time would be complete without exploring the food of the time and we cover the big items of Christmas turkey, cookies, eggnog…and rum.

Images of Christmas during the 1880s and 1890s:








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Author: Merry Podcaster
Title: The Victorian Christmas Part VI

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The Victorian Christmas, Part III

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The Victorian Christmas, Part III
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The Victorian Christmas is defined by many diverse things over a 60-year period of the 19th century. In this episode of the Merry Little Podcast we explore the struggle the media had in defining the very face of Christmas during the Victorian Era – Santa Claus.

Moore’s poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, made very clear who Santa was and what he looked like. But from the start of the century to the end, Santa evolved into two really different looking men — thanks to the media, to product producers and merchants who all laid claim to him.

This episode explains why and how that happened.

We also delve into Christmas for the American slave, the song O Little Town of Bethlehem, and we share the names of great Christmas influencers of the century that we don’t hear much about any more – namely the writers Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

This episode also touches on the emerging 19th century trend in recognizing Thanksgiving as an official holiday. Although Thanksgiving had enjoyed better than 200 years of celebration in the United States it really came together with Christmas in the mid-19th century as part of one very meaningful season for Victorian celebrants. Thanksgiving, too, brought its share of superstars to the 19th century Christmas table.

This episode happily features the brilliant work of Tom Mucenieks with his song titled Jingle Bells: Sad Christmas. See his links at:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc2HRnNnK8o
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toms.mucenieks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toms.mucenieks2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/toms_mucenieks

Episode sponsor – Christmas Hall of Fame:
Christmas Hall of Fame

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Author: Merry Podcaster
Title: The Victorian Christmas, Part III

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The Northpole Podcast
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Flying Behind Santa on Christmas Eve

Flying behind Santa on Christmas Eve is like watching your favorite Christmas movie. Now you don’t have to dream about. You can hear about it from the Elf who actually does it.

Imagine being the elf who follows Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. His name is Elf Crash Murphy and he sees everything Santa does as he makes his way around the world.

In this special episode of the North Pole Podcast Crash answers questions from trackers and believers around the world about Santa’s Christmas Eve flight. You get to learn about some of the things he has experienced and some of the tools Santa uses.

It is a very complex operation that Santa runs and this conversation with Crash gives us a great many insights about what it is like.

This is a don’t miss episode!

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Flying Behind Santa on Christmas Eve

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The Northpole Podcast
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Santa Makes a Big Announcement

After many delays Santa finally made the announcement we have been hearing about for days — and, boy! — was it a big one!

The crew of the North Pole Podcast were there and recorded it live…well, sorta. So we’ll let them tell the story of what Santa had to said and not say anything more in our post here. But it is big news and something we’ll be talking about right up until Santa takes off on Christmas Eve.

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Santa Makes a Big Announcement

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Working as An Elf at the North Pole

Becoming an elf and working at the North Pole is the dream of a lot of people.

In this merry episode of the North Pole Podcast you are introduced to Elf Hugo, the postmaster at the North Pole Post Office. You will learn a bit about his story and how he became an elf.

You will learn that the path to elfhood takes a long, long time. Hugo’s story is a good example of that. He worked many years in a hard job that supported his family and he raised his children before he ever became an elf. Then, after becoming an elf, he was put to work in a variety of jobs before he ever got the opportunity to do what he does now.

Elf Hugo is one of the hardest working elves at the North Pole. He is a very good friend of mine. You will never find an elf more devoted to working for Santa or more candid about what it is like to be an elf.

This episode also reveals a little bit about the kind of mail we receive at the North Pole and how some of the elves feel about it.

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Working as An Elf at the North Pole

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The Northpole Podcast
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North Pole Thanksgiving

ThanksgivingThanksgiving at the North Pole is not like Thanksgiving anywhere else.

In this festive episode of the North Pole Podcast Elves Frank, Crash and Sprinkles discuss the grand feast planned for the entire elf community and the famous North Pole Thanksgiving Day Elf Parade, featuring thousands of elves and their trikes.

New to listeners is Elf Sprinkles Flufflemeyer. But she is know unknown to the thousands of North Pole citizens who love food (which is all of them). Sprinkles talks not only food in this episode but also the elements of elf love that go into everything that has to do with food — even cleaning. It is a fascinating look inside the heart of an elf who loves what she does.

If you love Thanksgiving, you’ll love this merry episode.

 

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: North Pole Thanksgiving

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Secrets of Santa

Secrets of SantaThere was nearly a riot getting elves into the studios of Kringle Radio to hear this session recorded. When elves heard what the topic of this podcast would be they just wanted to be there to hear it for themselves.

It is not because they don’t know the Secrets of Santa. They do.

But they wanted to see who would say what.

This episode features two Santa experts: Elf Agent X, head of North Pole Security and Elf Barbara Wa-wa, a North Pole celebrity reporter who is personal friends with both Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The results of this episode surprised most elves. Elf Holly Berry, hostess of this episode, was pretty disappointed in the outcome. But when Santa heard the finished podcast he said this episode to him is “hilarious”.

Santa wants it published because the podcast turned out to be more about elves than Santa himself.

He thinks you need to see that side of things.

Enjoy!

Listen to this episode of the North Pole Podcast
Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Secrets of Santa

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Elf Holidays

Elf HolidaysNot only do elves celebrate a lot more holidays than most folks they have their own unique calendar as well. This all-new episode of the North Pole Podcast discusses Elf Holidays and why they celebrate them.

Thank you for the enthusiastic response to our first episode of the North Pole Podcast. If you liked that one we’re sure you will like Elf Al Pyne’s discussion with Elf Dr. Grant Smedley of Southern North Pole University discussing elf holidays.

One of the finer details of this discussion deals with the revelation — for the first time ever in public media — of something called Toyvember.

Santa is a toymaker and his elves are his helpers. Toyvember is a unique period on the elf calendar when Santa dedicates the resources of all his elves specifically for the development of new kinds of toys. Fantastic stuff comes out of Toyvember and in this episode Dr. Smedley shares exactly how Toyvember works and how it fits on the elf calendar.

This kind of discussion is exactly the reason why Santa wanted us to develop a podcast in the first place. This is deep-diving into elf culture at its best. We hope you enjoy it.

Elf Ernest

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Elf Holidays

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Introducing the North Pole Podcast

North Pole PodcastIt’s a big historic day here at the North Pole and here on SantaUpdate.com. We’re proud to announce the first episode of the North Pole Podcast.

The North Pole Podcast is an idea we have been exploring for a long, long time. Santa felt it was time we finally do it.

His goal is to use podcasting as a way to reach more people and share more information.

We do not know how many out there listen to podcasts but if what we see here with the North Pole Radio news we share is any indication we think the podcast will be a way to reach a lot more folks.

Especially, uh, older folks.

Let me explain.

Santa has a way of calling any kind of believer a “kid”. He is always saying “The kids will like this” or “We should do this for the kids”. When Santa talks like that he is not always talking about children.

Some of the “kids” who write into the North Pole are really adults. Some are 60 years old or 80 years old even.

Santa thinks some of these older “kids” will be the podcast listeners out there. But we know that children out there will enjoy it too.

The North Pole Podcast will provide new and exciting information about the North Pole. So many have questions about who we as elves are and what it is like to live at the North Pole. They want to know all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in support of Santa.

That is why the North Pole Podcast is needed.

We hope you enjoy it.

Elf Ernest

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Author: Elf Ernest
Title: Introducing the North Pole Podcast

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