Does Santa always wear glasses? Well, that depends. Some Santa Claus portrayal artists don’t include eyewear, but many of them do. The portrayers who wear glasses often do so because of their own age-related vision issues or other eye concerns.
Corrective lenses make it possible for the real Santa to read all the names on his Naughty and Nice Lists, and to navigate the night sky safely as he pilots his sleigh.
From your local mall Santa to the Kris Kringles you see on the silver screen to Father Christmas himself, learn why glasses for Santa are arguably just as important as cookies for the jolly holiday character.
The History of Santa’s Image
The beloved Saint Nicholas — the inspiration behind the Santa Claus legend — lived from approximately 280 to 343 A.D., around 1,000 years before eyeglasses were invented. He traveled Europe, sharing his wealth, caring for the sick, and helping children and others who needed him.
Today, Santa — also called Saint Nick or Saint Nicholas because of his backstory — is regularly depicted with this same generous spirit. Sometimes he’s also presented with a pair of eyeglasses. But why and when did Santa start wearing spectacles?
Santa as You Know Him
An artist by the name of Thomas Nast created over 30 images of Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly magazine between 1863 and 1886. Nast was the first to depict Santa the way you probably picture him:
- Rosy cheeks and a cheerful smile
- Big belly
- Full white beard
- Red velvet suit and hat with white fur trim
- Black leather boots
- Holding a bag of toys
Nast also included specs in his version(s) of Santa, perhaps because they were considered a bit of a status symbol. At the time, eyeglasses were still in the early days of popular use and not widely available. This in itself set Santa apart as an elite member of society.
Thanks to Nast’s original artwork, Santa is often still seen wearing his signature frames in everything from TV shows to movies and advertisements. Although Santa glasses are now a known (and expected) part of his look, Santa’s age and lifestyle suggest that he may actually need to wear his specs to see clearly.
Why Santa Might Need Glasses
There may be multiple reasons for Santa’s glasses. He could have a refractive error like many of the children he delivers Christmas presents to. For example, he may need glasses to correct:
- Nearsightedness – Trouble seeing far away
- Farsightedness – Difficulty seeing up close
- Astigmatism – Blurry vision at all distances
- Presbyopia – Age-related loss of near focusing ability
Depending on his preferences, Santa may want lenses with special coatings or features, too.
Being older, he may need reading glasses or progressives to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). Either type can be very helpful for reading each child’s wish list. And by correcting his close-up vision, he could make his own list without having to check it twice.
In fact, readers make great stocking stuffers, especially if you have a loved one over 40 who’s started to struggle with presbyopia. You don’t need a prescription to purchase readers in standard lens magnifications.
Types of Glasses Santa Might Wear
Types of glasses can be narrowed down to style and lens type. Standard Santa glasses typically look like small reading glasses with wire rims. This tends to be the most popular style of glasses for Santa — although we’ve seen some alternatives to this tradition. The best style of eyewear just depends on what each Santa needs.
But Santa may need different types of lenses, too.
Driving a sleigh at night, Santa may experience harsh, distracting glare as he passes numerous street and city lights. For this, he may consider special EBDBlue 360 lenses to reduce glare and minimize reflections for clearer, safer driving.
On his day route, Santa would likely benefit from a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Sunglasses with 100% UVA-UVB lens protection are also vital for life in the North Pole. The sun can reflect off the wintry landscape’s bright white snow, creating glare and posing a risk for snow blindness. But proper protection can keep Santa’s vision in tip-top shape.
We mentioned before that Santa may struggle with nearsightedness, farsightedness, or presbyopia. Depending on the issue, vision can likely be corrected with prescription glasses using single-vision lenses or multifocal progressives, or with over-the-counter reading glasses.
A Santa portrayal artist who doesn’t need vision correction may opt for glasses with plano (non-prescription) lenses. This would allow them to remain true to character.
Finally, making toys in a workshop can be dangerous with so many sharp tools around. Santa and the elves may consider investing in protective eyewear to ensure their eyes stay safe on the job.
Santa’s Glasses in Popular Culture
Christmas movies and holiday TV specials almost always have a Santa somewhere in the storyline. These representations of Santa Claus often include a big red coat, long white beard, and small wire-frame glasses. Some of these glasses are round in shape, while others are flat on the top of the rims and round on the bottom.
Some portrayals of these traditional spectacle styles in popular culture include:
- Richard Attenborough in Miracle on 34th Street
- Paul Giamatti in Fred Claus
- Whoopi Goldberg in Call Me Claus
- Matthew Perry in Friends
- Lil Ray Howery in Dashing Through the Snow
- Ed Asner in Elf (Asner has played Santa seven other times, but this portrayal is one of the few that has featured glasses)
Some versions ignore the Santa spectacle stereotype altogether. In these cases, the characters already wore glasses and didn’t change them for their Santa looks:
- Tyler Perry in A Madea Christmas
- Chris Farley in Saturday Night Live
In addition to movies and TV shows, many holiday ads also feature a Santa with glasses. Perhaps most notably is the 1996 M&M’s commercial that depicts the red and yellow M&M’s discovering a real, glasses-wearing Santa Claus at the same moment that he sees them. “They do exist!” Santa exclaims before fainting from the shock.
Fun Facts About Santa’s Glasses
While Santa’s glasses seem to be most popular with wire-rimmed frames, there have been a few exceptions in pop culture. And they happen to be some of our favorite portrayals:
Chris Farley wore Wayfarer-style eyeglasses on Saturday Night Live when he played motivational speaker Matt Foley, the man who lived in a van down by the river. During a holiday episode of the show, Foley dressed as Motivational Santa to speak to a group of children. He wore his own Wayfarers though, and not the standard Santa glasses.
Tyler Perry also suited up in red but stuck with the signature Madea glasses in A Madea Christmas. These oversized square “granny glasses” are a crucial part of Madea’s look (literally), along with a classic pearl necklace. Consequently, both accessories also became a key part of Madea’s Santa Claus look in the holiday edition of the movie franchise.
Does Santa Claus Wear Glasses?
So, are glasses for Santa always necessary? If the Santa in question needs distance vision correction and doesn’t like wearing contacts, the answer is probably yes. But if the Santa only has trouble with reading and other near vision tasks, he may only need to wear reading glasses to help with those activities.
Santa glasses vary by style and lens type and should be selected based on your vision needs and personal preferences. Whether or not you currently wear glasses, a comprehensive eye exam should be part of your annual health routine.
If you, an elf, or a Santa Claus you know have concerns about your vision or eye health, be sure to contact your eye doctor to schedule an appointment.
