It appears that in Jerusalem, Santa Claus rides a camel. Santa Claus in Jerusalem? The nation of Israel is a Jewish state, and the Christians who make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in December are focused on the birth of Jesus, not Santa Claus. But Jerusalem has a Santa Claus, and he's an Orthodox Christian Arab. Meet Issa Kassissieh.
It was 14 years ago when Kassissieh found an old Santa Claus costume that had belonged to his father. He decided to amuse himself and tried it on. It fit so well that he went to the nearby Jaffa Gate, a historic portal in the Old City’s wall, while wearing it. Children happily gathered around, and it had an effect on him. “I realized that as a child I didn’t get to have this happiness, and that it’s time to give it to the children of Jerusalem,” he says. “While traveling the world during Christmas I realized how deep Santa is embedded in Western cultures, while here, in the place where Christmas began, we only know Santa through television and movies.” The following year, Kassissieh donned the costume again. The year after that he hired a camel. Since then, around Christmas, he has ridden the camel around the Old City spreading cheer, and then receives visits from children and their families in Santa’s House in the afternoon. At the height of the season, the line in front of “Santa’s House” can be two hours long. Kassissieh funds most of the operation himself, but he does get candy donations from Christian individuals and organizations worldwide.
Read about Kassissieh, his journey to become Santa, and his Christmas house at Atlas Obscura.
(Image credit: Heidi Levine for Atlas Obscura)