Introduction to Santaphilia
He sees you when you sleep, he knows when you are awake. And Santaphiles – adults who are passionate about Santa Claus – wouldn’t have it any other way. For these individuals, the idea of Santa Claus is not just about a jolly old man in a red suit, but a symbol of generosity, happiness, and a father figure aspect.
The Attraction to Santa Claus
Content creator Kassidie Kosa, 25, first fell in love with Kris Kringle as a child while watching Tim Allen in the "Santa Clause" films. She finds the idea of an older guy with a nice beard, who wants to give gifts, very appealing. "And the dad bods are next level. I don’t care if they have abs. Give me the pudge," she says. This attraction is not just about physical appearance, but also about the character and personality that Santa represents.
BDSM Role Play and Santa Claus
Some people might also be turned on by the idea of Santa Claus because they think he is a character well-suited to BDSM role play. Dr. Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, explains that Santa Claus is someone who tells you whether you’ve been good or bad and who hands out rewards and punishments. This dynamic can be appealing to those who enjoy role-playing and power exchange.
Santa Babies and Their Love for Santa
“Santa Babies” like Kosa are excited to celebrate and pay homage to their favorite man at his special time of year. They find the older, wiser, and more mature version of Santa Claus irresistible. Kosa admits that she "has total daddy issues" and that the gray hair, the pudge, and the ‘responsible’ attitude are literally irresistible to her.
Other Women Who Share the Same Attraction
Kosa isn’t the only one who has the hots for the holiday star. Melissa Rosen, a 47-year-old business consultant, discovered her own attraction to Kris Kringle at age 16 — when she saw an off-duty Santa Claus taking a break in a mall alley, smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer. She was fascinated by the question: ‘What does Santa Claus do in his free time?’ This sparked her interest in the more mature and relaxed version of Santa.
The Representation of Santa Claus in Relationships
Rosen believes that Santa Claus represents a lot of things that both men and women want in relationships, like generosity, happiness, and a father figure aspect. There’s also the aspect of judging people based on whether they were naughty or nice. She actively seeks to date men who look like jolly old Saint Nick and finds the idea of a partner who embodies these qualities very appealing.
Fashion Santa and His Take on the Attraction
Paul Mason, a 61-year-old former New York model, now known as "Fashion Santa Claus," has been promoting himself as the chic version of the holiday icon since 2014. He’s amused that grown women enjoy his Santa Claus vibe and finds it sophisticated and maybe a little sexy. He doesn’t see anything offensive in it and is happy to embody the character.
The Statistics of Santaphilia
The consensual attraction to Santa Claus — or perhaps "Daddy" Christmas — is a trend that hasn’t yet been statistically quantified. According to Kinsey’s Lehmiller, there haven’t been enough studies on Santaphilia to determine exactly how many people harbor the holiday fetish. However, porn websites report that searches for Santa-themed porn regularly increase around the holidays, indicating that a portion of the population is into it.
The Spirit of Christmas and Attraction to Santa
Amanda DiChiara, a 35-year-old hairdresser from New Jersey, admitted that some people might find her attraction "weird," but stressed that she is most seduced by the way Santa captures the "spirit of Christmas." She finds the big, fat man version of Santa Claus attractive and believes that he makes the holiday season more festive and almost spiritual.
