Have you ever wondered how Santa Claus got to become Santa? The (somehow foolishly titled) movie Christmas Story reveals the background of Santa.

The story is set in Lapland where young Nikolas loses his family in an accident. To take care of the orphaned boy his village decides that Nikolas can stay at any family for one year. On Christmas Day he has to switch his home. To show his gratitude Nikolas decides to make toys for the children as good bye presents. I guess you can see where this story is heading.

The movie presents a different, more mature take on the whole Santa Claus myth. I even heard of an eleven year old who didn’t believe in Santa any more. After watching Christmas Story however she believes he did exist and that his message and his spirit live on. In my opinion this is much better than giving up believing at all. Even if you enter the realm of “enlightened” adults there is a great advantage in preserving those little moments of magic that you encounter as a child.

The fate of Nicholas and how he handles his situation is simply touching. The story moves along like a slowly falling snow flake. One can not escape it and is drawn deeper and deeper into it. The characters are described very affectionately. It’s Christmas DVDs like this that evoke the magic of Christmas and make you aware of what is really the most important thing for everyone. It is family and friends who help you even in difficult times and who you can trust.

The movie is shot in the gorgeous scenery of Lapland, in the dead of winter with real reindeer. It is this amazing scenery that gets you in the Christmas mood very quickly. Christmas Story was one of the most successful films in Finland for 2007, reaching 270,000 admissions.

Watch the Christmas Story Movie Trailer