History Main / PseudoSanta

Contrast with SubbingForSanta and UsurpingSanta, when a character is explicitly taking the regular Santa's place. See also TheKrampus for Santa's demonic counterpart, and {{Santabomination}}, where Santa (or his {{Expy}}) is an EldritchAbomination.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGeniusS2E6HollyJollyJimmy Holly Jolly Jimmy]]", Hugh decided to create a "Pule", {{Portmanteau}} of "pie" and "Yule" after [[ItMakesSenseInContext Jimmy seemingly killed Santa]]. The new symbol was a pie-delivering duck who brought good pies to good children and cheese pies to bad children. Good thing that StatusQuoIsGod.

* In contrast to previous games with had the actual Santa, ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' instead has "Father Winter" who shows up during "[[YouMeanXmas Winterfest]]", and wears blue with an ushanka rather than red with a bobble-cap. Multiple "Father Winters" exist, with the first to appear always being named Clement Frost.

* In contrast to previous games with had the actual Santa, ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' instead has "Father Winter" who shows up during "[[YouMeanXmas Winterfest]], and wears blue with an ushanka rather than red with a bobble-cap. Multiple "Father Winters" exist, with the first to appear always being named Clement Frost.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGeniusS2E6HollyJollyJimmy Holly Jolly Jimmy]]", Hugh decided to create a "Pule", {{Portmanteau}} of "pie" and "Yule" after [[ItMakesSenseInContext Jimmy seemingly killed Santa]]. The new symbol was a pie man who brought good pies to good children and cheese pies to bad children. Good thing that StatusQuoIsGod.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' has the Hogfather, the hog-themed Discworld equivalent of Santa who went through considerable in-universe {{Disneyfication}} over the ages. Initially starting off in the distant past as a winter death-and-renewal deity placated by bonfires and ritual sacrifices, he later changed into a gift giver who brought people pork products (or bags of bloody bones to naught children) and eventually toys and treats in the modern day. He still rides a crude wooden sledge carved with pagan symbols and pulled by wild boars, but popular culture now has him in a delicate sleigh pulled by cute domestic pigs (although they still have names like Gouger and Tusker).

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyBestGiftEver'' has Aurora, Bori, and Alice (The Gift Givers) who for all intents and purposes, are Equestria's version of Santa Claus. They're reindeer who can run through the air, they oversee and specialize around gift-giving, and they live in a cottage at the extreme north of the world — they're essentially Santa if he was his reindeer instead.

Contrast with SubbingForSanta and UsurpingSanta, when a character is explicitly taking the regular Santa's place. See also TheKrampus for Santa's demonic counterpart.

* In ''[[Literature/{{DinotopiaDinotopia: Journey to Chandara}}]]'', Arthur Denison visits a mountainous town whose inhabitants receive gifts on Midwinter Eve from [[http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-visit-from-boon-sloth.html the Boon Sloth]], a somewhat forgetful white-furred giant ground sloth.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' has the Hogfather, the hog-themed Discworld equivalent of Santa who went through considerable in-universe {{Disneyfication}} over the ages. Initially starting off in the distant past as a winter death-and-renewal deity placated by bonfires and ritual sacrifices, he later changed into a gift giver who brought people pork products (or bags of bloody bones to naught children) and eventually toys and treats in the modern day. His sleigh was originally pulled by wild boars but is now pulled by cute domestic pigs.

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* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': It's a major RunningGag that Linus believes in "the Great Pumpkin" who apparently rises up out of the "most sincere" pumpkin patch to deliver presents on Halloween.
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* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': In "[[Recap/FriendsS7E10TheOneWithTheHolidayArmadillo The One With The Holiday Armadillo]]", Ross had custody of Ben during the holidays, and wanted to teach him about Hanuka, especially since Ben doesn't celebrate it back home since Carol and Susan were raised in Christian households and celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Ross tried to rent a Santa Suit, but since they were all out, Ross showed up at Monica's apartment, who was babysitting Ben until Ross got back, as "the Holiday Armadillo," who delivers presents to all good children in the Southwest and Mexico.

And he harnesses them to a silver sleigh, 'cos he doesn't like waiting for buses.

* In the ''Series/MaidMarianAndHerMerryMen'' episode "The Big Baby", the Sherrif invents a holiday called Bloopy as an excuse to insist the peasants give King John gifts. The central figure is Father Bloopy, who the sherrif explains in song:

* In the ''Series/MaidMarionAndHerMerryMen'' episode "The Big Baby", the Sherrif invents a holiday called Bloopy as an excuse to insist the peasants give King John gifts. The central figure is Father Bloopy, who the sherrif explains in song:

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Robot Santa Claus was built by MomCorp and was supposed to fly around the world and deliver presents. Due to a glitch in his judgement circuits, however, his standards are impossibly high and he instead flies around every Xmas Eve killing anyone he comes across for being "too naughty". He spends most of the year preparing weapons in his death fortress on Neptune, alongside the enslaved Neptunians that stand in as his elves.

When most people are asked who brings gifts for Christmas, their first thought will almost certainly be SantaClaus. But whether to distance themselves from or parody Santa-related Christmas cliches, or to show how a [[YouMeanXmas Christmas-equivalent holiday]] plays out in an alien setting, writers may make up a completely new character who brings gifts for the biggest holiday of winter. It may be an OddballDoppelganger of Saint Nick, having a few similarities to him like white-trimmed red clothes and a magical sleigh pulled by reindeer or other creatures but otherwise being rather divergent from him. A {{Santabomination}} that is sufficiently eldritch as to barely resemble the standard Santa can also count. The original character might be an AlternateSpeciesCounterpart of Santa Claus. Like the regular Santa, it's often [[SantaAmbiguity left unclear if the character is real or not]]. TheParodyBeforeChristmas is often used as well.

Santa's ChristmasElves may also be replaced in such situations. Such substitutes may include science fictiony choices like robots or aliens to explain [[HowCanSantaDeliverAllThoseToys how all those toys get delivered]], or mundane office workers in a StandardOfficeSetting to go along with a CommercializedChristmas.

* ''Anime/CombattlerV'': The Campbellian aliens' true king is Deus. He is an old man who travels by a cart pulled by reindeers. Oddly, the most prominent Campbellian in the show, Garuda, is based on a figure from Hindu mythology.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': In "[[Recap/FriendsS7E10TheOneWithTheHolidayArmadillo The One With The Holiday Armadillo]]", Ross had custody of Ben during the holidays, and wanted to teach him about Hanuka, especially since Ben doesn't celebrate it back home since Carol and Susan were raised in Christian households and celebrate Christmas. On Christmas eve, Ross tried to rent a Santa Suit, but since they were all out, Ross showed up to Monica's house, who was babysitting Ben until Ross got back, as "the Holiday Armadillo," who delivers presents to all good children in the Southwest and Mexico.

* ''Franchise/{{Lego}} Film/TheHobbit'': The short film "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCJYs7e5xx0 Bard the Bowman The Beginning]]" shows the wizard Gandalf in a santa hat sneaking into a young Bard's house and gifting him with his first bow and arrows.

* A couple of ''Website/SCPFoundation'' Christmas Stories, [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/holy-crap-this-is-a-long-christmas-tale The 12 Days of Site-87's Christmas]] and [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/happy-howlidays Happy Howlidays]], imply that [[WickedToymaker Dr. Wondertainment]] either is Santa Claus, or is filling in for him for the Foundation specifically.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGeniusS2E6HollyJollyJimmy Holly Jolly Jimmy]]", Hugh decided to create a "Pule", {{Portmanteau}} of "pie" and "Yule" after [[ItMakesSenseInContext Jimmy seemingly killed Santa]]. The new symbol was a pie man who bring good pies to good children and cheese pies to bad children. Good thing that StatusQuoIsGod.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Robot Santa Claus was built by MomCorp and was supposed to fly around the world and deliver presents. Due to a glitch in his judgement circuits however, his standards are impossibly high and he instead flies around every Xmas Eve killing anyone he comes across for being "too naughty". He spends most of the year preparing weapons in his death fortress on Neptune, alongside the enslaved Neptunians that stand-in as his elves.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' has the Great Shaven Yak. He comes on "Yak Shaving Day" to deliver presents (shaving scum, mostly) to people who hang dirty diapers from the walls, fill their dad?s boots with coleslaw, and leave a pot of shaving cream next to the bathroom sink.

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* ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown'' is a Hallowe'en themed AnimatedAdaptation of the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' comic strip. Linus believes that on October 31st, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the nicest pumpkin patch, and delivers toys to all the faithful children that believe in him. Linus actually camps out in the town's best pumpkin patch, and Charlie Brown's sister Sally keeps him company. Not because she believes the mythos as much as she's fixated on Linus himself.

* There's Mr Hankey, the Christmas Poo, in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas, who brings the gift of good cheer and the Christmas spirit.
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* There's Mr Hankey, the Christmas Poo, in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas, who brings the gift of good cheer and the Christmas spirit.