A Norwegian newspaper fired a serious shot in the War on Christmas last week by suddenly declaring Santa Claus dead — much to the horror of many readers.
A crucifix-laden obituary in Aftenposten, Norway’s second-biggest newspaper, said “Father Christmas,” a.k.a. Santa Claus, died Dec. 3 in Nordkapp, the northernmost point in Norway.
And the Claus apparently had a good run — the notice said he died days before what would have been his 227th birthday, according to the BBC. The funeral was to be held Dec. 28 at “North Pole Chapel,” it said.
Cause of death? Unknown.
Despite the apparent acknowledgement that Santa Claus at least existed in the first place, readers received this anti-“Miracle on 34th Street” message like a steaming lump of coal, leading to a swift apology from the paper.
“An error in Aftenposten’s internal procedures led to a fictional obituary of Santa Claus (being) published in our digital systems,” Aftenposten said in a statement.
“Aftenposten has strict guidelines for both the content and use of symbols in our obituaries. This ad is a violation of these and should never have been published…We will find out what has happened.”
Reps for Santa Claus could not be reached for comment.
