Since 1943, the people of Appalachian Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee have looked forward to Santa’s arrival.

Before heading back to the North Pole, Santa Claus stopped through Gruene to hear last-minute requests from kids.

SeaWorld

The Coca‑Cola Holiday Caravan is headed to various places around the Alamo City like the San Antonio Zoo and Frost Bank Center to share some cheer and free goodies.

Beloved cartoon characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants are taking to the skies above New York City in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

As the temperature drops (in many places), the holiday TV calendar is heating up with a variety of festive options.

A local family is out about $1,500 and was left with no place to move after the rental house deal turned out to be fake.

The Rhode Island Department of Health says it was not able to definitively confirm or refute the presence of Santa in a young girl’s home after she requested to have a partially eaten cookie and a couple of gnawed-on carrot sticks tested for DNA to see if Santa Claus is real.

The San Antonio Fire Department released a video to remind residents to be careful when it comes to overloaded outlets during the upcoming freeze and holidays.

A bunch of Santa lookalikes have taken to the ski slopes once again to spread some holiday cheer.

Overall World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States claimed a slalom event for a sweep of the two season-opening races.

Spain will end a mandate to wear masks outdoors next week, reversing a late December order against an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections fueled by a highly contagious mutation.

Marines on snowmobiles helped Santa this month while delivering toys to boys and girls in Alaska’s Arctic.

Rest assured, kids of all ages: Santa’s coming this Christmas Eve, and a second holiday with COVID-19 won’t stop him.

Second graders interview Kris Kringle and ask the tough questions about Christmas.

Santa Claus’ house is officially valued at more than $1 million for the first time ever, according to Zillow.

It all began with an elf named Fisbee.

A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily has apologized to outraged parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

Catch up on the latest kid news, the week's student spotlight and the Kids Wanna Know segments in the free KSAT Kids newsletter.

Watch a Christmas movie with Santa Claus at Santikos for a limited time.

We’re used to seeing Santa at the mall, or better yet, on his sleigh delivering toys to children around the world, but you don’t see Santa (let alone hundreds of him) skiing or snowboarding down a mountain.

Britain’s government has tightened travel restrictions amid concerns about the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant.

View a list of some of the events going on in San Antonio and the surrounding areas in December.

Where to see holiday lights and celebrate the season with things to do around San Antonio.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan, high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers and crowds welcomed back to cheer them on.

Visitors to a mall with a monster themed festival wears masks to protect from the coronavirus in Beijing Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. Beijing is conducting testing on a limited scale in the neighborhoods and workplaces where the cases were found. Japan had 3,823 new cases Friday for a national total of 213,547, with 3,155 deaths, the health ministry said. — South Korea has reported another 1,132 coronavirus cases as the resurgence worsened over the Christmas week, putting pressure on the government to enforce stricter social distancing controls. On Saturday morning, 110 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing Thailand’s total to 6,020.

SAN ANTONIO – Determined and likely desperate shoppers braved the crowds and the COVID-19 pandemic in their quest to find stocking stuffers and gifts they forgot or still needed to buy. “Last minute shopping -- you know how that goes,” said Socorro Morquecho, who was picking up some holiday pastries. She was among the shoppers on Christmas Eve who said they weren’t that worried, judging by what they saw. “But I still need -- well, we all need to be careful.”Others said it seemed that many Christmas Eve shoppers were aware they needed to be as safe as possible. Michelle Johnson, who was with her husband looking for stocking stuffers, said she was encouraged to see merchants were doing their part.

The National Weather Service earlier this week warned that South Florida could experience the coldest Christmas Day in 21 years. Morning lows on Saturday could drop into the low 30s and 40s degrees Fahrenheit, the weather service said. Much colder temps expected for Christmas," the National Weather Service in Miami tweeted earlier this week. A squall line with severe storms and fast-moving winds also was headed for north Florida on Christmas Eve. The pandemic also was impacting a Space Coast tradition — Surfing Santa Day, which takes place the day before Christmas.

In this photo provided by the California Highway Patrol, a man dressed as Santa Claus who was flying on a powered parachute on his way to deliver candy canes to children is seen stuck on power lines in Rio Linda, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. The incident happened shortly after the man took off near a school in Rio Linda and then hit and became suspended in power lines, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV. (California Highway Patrol via AP)RIO LINDA, Calif. – Santa found himself a little more tied up than usual this time of year. A Northern California man impersonating Santa Claus and flying on a powered parachute was rescued Sunday after he became entangled in power lines, authorities said. He flew into a maze of power lines and wound up suspended in them, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV.

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio small business owner is putting in extra hours this holiday season to spread Christmas cheer. Along with their popular Philly cheesesteaks, Gino’s Deli also offers mail service to the North Pole. The deli owner, Aleem Chaudhry, said the red mailbox is constantly overflowed with letters that include wish lists, serious questions and testimonies of resilience. I learn humor (and) humility with (the letters).”Gino’s Deli is located at 13210 Huebner Road and can be reached at 210-764-0602. RELATED: You can watch a Christmas movie with Santa Claus at Santikos theaters

A spat has erupted over competing claims that the prime minister and his main rival broke the spirit of pandemic restrictions that have renewed financial hardship for many voters. Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was photographed last weekend posing with his mountain bike, without a mask, alongside five motocross riders on a hillside trail outside Athens. Greece's lockdown rules exempt people who've gone outdoors for exercise, including cycling, from the obligation to wear a mask. Greece’s pandemic death toll reached close to 3,100 on Monday, with most deaths occurring after Nov. 1. The current lockdown was launched on Nov. 7 and initially planned to last for three weeks.

Santa Claus is coming to Traders Village — but he’ll still maintain six feet of social distance. Traders Village announced it will continue holiday celebrations in the Coronavirus Age with a “Contactless Country Christmas” every weekend throughout December. “We really wanted to make visiting Santa special this year, but not take away the magic of Santa,” Billeck said. The event will take place at Traders Hall on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 19 and 20. Admission into Traders Village is free, but photo packages start at $5.

Moreno explains that Operation Santa has been around for years, but only in certain cities digitally. “In 1912 post master Frank Hitchcock allowed post masters and their employees and community to adopt letters, so we have continued on the tradition and it is now known as Operation Santa,” Moreno said. It allows children to write letters to Santa, and the USPS will post those letters on its Operation Santa website, where people can adopt letters and send children gifts. In the middle of the envelope write in Santa’s address: Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888. Santa letters image2.

Putting hundreds of kids daily onto Santa's lap to talk into his face — that's not happening for most. Santas conducting in-person visits are using some combination of masks, the outdoors, barriers and distance for safety. The virus has many Santas and parents turning to virtual visits, which are booked through each Santa's personal website or agencies like Allen's. “You get a different energy,” Saunders said of the virtual visits. That's gone, so he's doing virtual visits and five days with a historic railroad in Pennsylvania.

There are only two Santa Museums in the U.S. and one of them can be found right here in South Texas!

Depending what choices we make this winter may very well determine our risk of contracting the coronavirus. The chart shows examples of activities ranked on a risk scale of 1 to 10, or low to high, by doctors from the TMA COVID-19 Task Force and the TMA Committee on Infectious Diseases. Having Thanksgiving dinner with family or household members is ranked as a 3, or low-moderate risk. While avoiding risk could mean skipping or altering holiday traditions -- like Lerner -- those kinds of sacrifices don’t go unappreciated. You can view the TMA’s risk chart below:

SAN ANTONIO – Trouble getting into the Christmas spirit because you can’t go home or don’t have the day off? Try reading a few letters to Santa to get into the holiday spirit. Most of the letters ask for toys and games, but some kids actually ask for basic necessities or help for a loved one. Letter adoption opens on Dec. 4 and is available at USPSOperationSanta.com. To read through some of the letters, click here.

(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)SEATTLE — Health officials in Washington state said the number of people who were hospitalized to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high. The director of the state health department urged residents to cancel indoor Thanksgiving plans and those that involve large groups of family and friends. Authorities are strictly enforcing a lockdown and nightly curfew after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Health authorities announced 1,498 new coronavirus cases Sunday, along with 103 deaths, five less than the daily record set Saturday. Italy added 28,337 confirmed cases, raising to 1,408,868, the country’s total in the pandemic.

SAN ANTONIO – Not a creature is stirring inside the cavernous warehouse turned Elf Louise workshop. “Never even crossed my mind,” said Bill Harrison, executive director for 30 years at the Elf Louise Christmas Project. Now gearing up for year 52, Elf Louise is seeing big demand. Not even a pandemic can stop Elf Louise from delivery Christmas joy, but there will be some changes. “We are giving out love and understanding and joyful approach to Christmas,” Harrison said.

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2019, file photo a playbook sits next to a telephone set up in the NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on December 24, just as it has done for 65 years. The global pandemic won't stop them from tracking Santa Claus' progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, just as it has done for 65 years. Besides the call center, the NORAD Tracks Santa website — noradsanta.org — as well as social media pages, Amazon Alexa, Onstar and a new mobile app will still be available with up-to-the-minute details on Santa's location.

A buyer shouted out with glee that they would pay $368,000 for the Rudolph and Santa Claus figures used in the perennially beloved Christmas special “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”Bidding for the figures soared past the projected sale price of between $150,000 and $200,000 on Friday at the Icons & Legends of Hollywood Auction held in Los Angeles by Profiles in History. The 6-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch-tall Santa were made in Tokyo of wood, wire, cloth and leather, and are still malleable. Other highlights from the two-day auction include Marilyn Monroe's tiger-striped gown from “The Seven Year Itch,” which sold for a whopping $593,750. Another Monroe gown that she wore when she met Queen Elizabeth II at a London film premiere went for $294,400. A Scarlett O'Hara dress that Vivien Leigh wore in “Gone With the Wind” and Gene Kelly's rain suit from “Singin' in the Rain” sold for $150,000 apiece.

Santa Claus is coming to the mall just don't try to sit on his lap. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK – Santa Claus is coming to the mall — just don’t try to sit on his lap. Kids will instead tell Santa what they want for Christmas from six feet away, and sometimes from behind a sheet of plexiglass. Santa and his visitors may need to wear a face mask, even while posing for photos. And Brookfield teamed up with virtual Santa company JingleRing, giving people a way to chat with Santa from home.

Get ready for some ho-ho-ho-liday fun at SeaWorld San Antonio. The park’s annual Christmas celebration is returning on select dates starting Nov. 20 and ending Jan. 3Visitors will have the chance to meet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus. The park will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 20 – 22, 25 – 29, Dec. 4 – 6, 11 – 13, 18 – 20, 23 -27 and Dec. 30 – Jan. 3. Visitors are required to make reservations to visit SeaWorld San Antonio and are encouraged to do so as early as possible. Guests can also experience SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration for free by purchasing a 2021 Season Pass.

SAN ANTONIO – Santa Claus is coming to town! Kris Kringle aka Santa Claus aka Saint Nicholas is going to be at different locations around the San Antonio area ahead of the holidays for photos. The key for 2020 Santa photos is reservations. They are required or highly encouraged at every location offering photos with Santa. The following locations are offering Santa photos for 2020:

SAN ANTONIO – Santa Claus will still be making his visits to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s locations, though these visits may look different than those in years past. Beginning Nov. 7 through Dec. 24, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s will transform into Christmas villages. Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder, said that events throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been canceled, which is why it was more important than ever to ensure some much needed Christmas cheer. Temperature Screening: All families and team members will complete temperature screening with a non-contact thermometer prior to entering Santa’s Wonderland. Magic Santa Shield: An innovative, glare-free clear protective barrier will be in place between Santa and families at all times to allow for a contactless experience.

FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus" for decades.

As a consumer reporter, Marilyn is all about helping people stay safe and save a buck. Since coming to KSAT in 1985, she’s covered everything from crime to politics, winning awards for her coverage of the Mexican Mafia, Oklahoma tornadoes, children’s transplants, an investigation into voting irregularities and even a hit-and-run Santa Claus.

Santa tracker: Follow Santa Claus as he makes his way to you NORAD’s Santa tracker keeps an eye on St. NickPublished: December 18, 2019, 5:24 pm Updated: December 16, 2020, 8:16 am

NORAD’s Santa tracker keeps an eye on St. Nick

SAN ANTONIO – Pediatric patients at University Hospital got a special visit from a holiday celebrity Tuesday morning. Santa Claus showed up to bring some holiday cheer, including the delivery of presents, for the kiddos. Jolly St. Nick also brought along an unlikely friend -- the Grinch, to spend some time with the children. We understand the Grinch was nice with the patients.

LAS VEGAS – First there was Hot Guy, now there is "Santa Claus," as seen in last night's Democratic debate audience. With every new debate, there seems to be a new interesting member of the audience worth obsessing over on the Internet. The jokes ranged the bearded and long-haired man as being Dumbledore or Gandalf, to it possibly being Vice President Joe Biden, waiting for the perfect moment to rip off his disguise and announce his candidacy. Whoever you are, thanks for making the debate awesome, "Santa Claus."