You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Every December, that deep, booming ho ho santa claus laugh echoes through malls and across television screens, becoming the universal soundtrack for the holidays. It’s comforting. It’s iconic. But honestly, if you look at the history of where that laugh actually came from, it’s a lot weirder and more interesting than just a happy guy in a red suit.
Most people assume Santa has always sounded like that. He hasn't.
Early versions of the character were often silent or even a bit stern. The "ho ho ho" we know today is actually a linguistic relic. It’s a mix of 19th-century poetry, clever 20th-century marketing, and a very specific theatrical tradition that dates back to medieval "Vice" characters who used a similar guttural laugh to get an audience’s attention.
Where the Ho Ho Santa Claus Laugh Started
Back in 1823, an anonymous poem titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas"—which we all now call "The Night Before Christmas"—changed everything. Before this, St. Nick was a bit of a shapeshifter. Sometimes he was a tall, thin bishop; other times, he was a slightly terrifying elf. But the poem gave him a "little round belly" that "shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly."
That belly shake needed a sound.
It wasn't until the mid-1800s that illustrators like Thomas Nast really started cementing the visual of Santa, but the vocalization was still up for grabs. If you look at the 1930s Coca-Cola advertisements by Haddon Sundblom, you start to see the modern, jovial Santa take a permanent seat in our collective psyche. Sundblom’s Santa looked like he should say "ho ho ho." He looked like a guy who just finished a massive meal and was feeling particularly great about life.
The laugh is essentially an onomatopoeia for deep-seated joy. It's a "belly laugh" in the most literal sense.
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The Psychology of the Sound
Why "ho" and not "ha"? Think about it. A "ha ha ha" is high-pitched, sometimes mocking, or just lighthearted. A "he he he" is sneaky, almost devious. But a ho ho santa claus style laugh? That’s low-frequency. In terms of psychoacoustics, lower frequencies are often perceived as more authoritative, soothing, and trustworthy. It's the sound of a patriarch who isn't a threat.
Researchers in linguistics often point out that the "o" vowel requires a wide, relaxed throat. You can't really do a "ho ho ho" while you're tense.
The Commercialization of the Jolly Old Elf
We can’t talk about Santa’s catchphrase without talking about the mall Santa phenomenon. This is where the laugh became a professional requirement. Starting in the early 20th century, department stores like Macy’s realized they needed a way to manage the chaos of thousands of children.
The laugh became a signal.
It was a way for Santa to announce his presence without screaming. It’s basically the 1920s version of a notification ping. When a kid heard that "ho ho ho," they knew it was go-time. This turned a literary description into a mandatory job skill. If you’re a professional Santa today—and yes, there are actual schools for this, like the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School—you’re taught the specific cadence of the laugh.
It shouldn't be too loud; you don't want to scare the toddlers. It needs to be rhythmic.
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Variations Around the World
It’s easy to think the English "ho ho" is the only way he laughs, but that’s just not true. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you’ll hear "jo jo jo." In others, the sound is more of a chuckle than a full-blown roar.
What’s consistent is the three-beat structure. Why three? Because in storytelling, the "Rule of Three" is king. One "ho" is an accident. Two is a greeting. Three is a catchphrase.
Why the Ho Ho Santa Claus Laugh Still Matters Today
In a world that feels increasingly cynical and fragmented, the ho ho santa claus laugh is one of the few remaining pieces of universal "folk" culture. It’s a bridge. It’s one of the first things a child learns to mimic.
But there’s a darker side to the history of the "ho" in theater.
In medieval miracle plays, the character of the Devil would often enter the stage with a shout of "Ho, ho!" to grab the audience’s attention before causing mayhem. It was a "stage direction" laugh. It’s a fascinating bit of linguistic evolution that a sound once associated with the Prince of Darkness was eventually co-opted by the most benevolent figure in Western culture. We basically took the most energetic, attention-grabbing sound in the theatrical toolkit and gave it to the guy bringing the LEGOs.
Is the Laugh Fading?
Some modern depictions of Santa are moving away from the "ho ho ho" because it can feel a bit caricatured. Filmmakers often try to make Santa more "grounded" or "gritty" (think Fatman or Violent Night). In these versions, the laugh is often missing or played for irony.
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Yet, for the average person, the laugh is the anchor.
If you see a guy in a red suit and he doesn't laugh, he’s just a guy in a costume. If he lets out that deep "ho ho," he becomes the character. It’s a performative transformation.
How to Get the Most Out of the Santa Experience This Year
If you're planning on visiting a Santa or even playing the part for your family, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the "ho ho ho" tradition. It's not just about the noise; it's about the energy.
- Mind the Volume: If you're playing Santa, don't blast the laugh right into a child's face. Keep it at a "conversational boom."
- The Belly Rule: The laugh should originate from the diaphragm, not the throat. If your chest is moving but your stomach isn't, you're doing it wrong.
- Context is Everything: Use the laugh as a transition. Use it when you're entering a room or finishing a conversation. Don't just pepper it in randomly like a glitching soundboard.
Practical Steps for Your Holiday Season
Instead of just treating Santa as a background decoration, look into the local history of how your community celebrates. Many towns have specific Santa lineages where the same family has played the role for generations, passing down their specific version of the ho ho santa claus laugh like a secret recipe.
- Check out the history of Thomas Nast's illustrations at your local library or online archives to see how the "jolly" aesthetic developed visually before the sound caught up.
- Listen to vintage radio broadcasts from the 1930s and 40s. You’ll hear a much wider variety of Santa "voices" than we have now, before the TV versions standardized the sound.
- Record your own family traditions. If you have someone who plays Santa every year, get a recording of their laugh. It becomes a priceless piece of family history that carries more weight than any store-bought decoration.
The laugh is more than just a sound; it's a survival tactic for joy. It’s the way we signal that, for a few weeks a year, the world is allowed to be a little bit more magical and a lot less serious. Whether it’s rooted in medieval theater or 19th-century poetry, the "ho ho ho" remains the most effective shorthand for "everything is going to be okay."
Go find a local holiday market or a historical society exhibit this month. Look for the older, weirder versions of Saint Nicholas—the ones that didn't always laugh. You’ll appreciate the modern, jolly version much more when you realize how long it took us to finally get that "ho ho" right.