History Main / MistakenForSanta

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': A variation -- at the beginning of "Holidays of Future Passed", Marge gets the family ready for their Christmas card photo after Thanksgiving dinner, which includes putting a Santa hat on Grampa while he [[FaceplantingIntoFood sleeps face-down in his food]]. He then wakes up and is convinced ''he's'' Santa after seeing his reflection with the hat and a "beard" of mashed potatoes.

* In the [[Creator/WhiteSquirrel White Squirrel]] fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14078862 The Accidental Animagus]]'', while [[Characters/HarryPotterAlbusDumbledore Dumbledore]] is investigating the Grangers' household (frantically looking for a runaway Harry), Hermione literally ''squees'' and runs up to hug him.

A character is minding their own business, when suddenly, someone else (usually a kid, or sometimes, even an adult) points at him and says, "Look, it's SantaClaus!" when actually, he's just an ordinary Joe; he just happened to be an old, fat man with a white (or a fake) beard, and usually wearing a red suit.

If it's [[KiddieKid a child]], this usually shows that ChildrenAreInnocent, especially if Santa doesn't actually exist in this universe. It could also be portrayed as InnocentInaccurate if the guy is actually an intruder. If it's an adult, then it's overlapping with StillBelievesInSanta, and thus often portrays them as [[{{Manchild}} childish]], [[TheDitz dumb]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} goofy]], or naive.

It's also very likely to happen to a character who decides to make a ChimneyEntry for whatever reason since St. Nick is quite famous for entering houses this way.

It's also very likely to happen to a character who decides to make a ChimneyEntry for whatever reason, since St. Nick is quite famous for entering houses this way.

* ''Comicbook/{{Hellboy}}'': In "A Christmas Underground", Hellboy visits a dying old woman on Christmas Eve and promises to find her long-missing daughter and deliever her present. As he turns to leave, we see him from Mrs. Hatch's point of view: "You thought I didn't recognise you. You're Father Christmas."

** PlayedForLaughs in [[Recap/FamilyGuyS12E8ChristmasGuy "Christmas Guy"]], when Peter mistakes an obvious Hell’s Angel for Santa. He sits on his lap and asks for meth. The biker says, “Okay.”
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In “Carpet Diem”, after swapping bodies with elderly hillbilly Old Man [=McGuckett=], Grenda thinks she’s become Santa Claus.

A character is minding their (usually his) own business, when suddenly, someone else (usually a kid, or sometimes, even an adult) points at him and says, "Look, it's SantaClaus!" when actually, he's just an ordinary Joe (or what should someone call him, Max, Jack, whatever he is); he just happened to be an old, fat man with a white (or a fake) beard, and usually wearing a red suit.

If it's a child, this usually shows that ChildrenAreInnocent, especially if Santa doesn't actually exist in this universe. It could also be portrayed as InnocentInaccurate if the guy is actually an intruder. If it's an adult, then it's overlapping with StillBelievesInSanta, and thus often portrays them as [[{{Manchild}} childish]] (even if [[KiddieKid they're a child themselves]]), [[TheDitz dumb]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} goofy]], or naive.

The person who is mistaken for Santa [[CringeComedy is often embarrassed]] (most often EmbarrassedByAChild) due to the implication that he looks like Santa and is thus old, fat, and/or silly, though [[InnocentlyInsensitive the kid often didn't mean it that way]]. They could just try to ignore the person, angrily correct them, laugh, find it cute, or [[SureLetsGoWithThat humour the other person]].

Contrast MallSanta, who's usually not an example, since he's trying to actually pass himself off as Santa, although an adult mistaking a mall Santa for the real Santa could qualify as mall Santas generally aren't trying to convince adults. Similarly, people who are UsurpingSanta or SubbingForSanta don't count. Compare MistakenForClown, MistakenForSubculture, ComicallyMissingThePoint, and YourCostumeNeedsWork. If it's an AmbiguousSituation as to whether it was a mistake or if he's really Santa, that's SantaAmbiguity. Subtrope of MistakenIdentity. Justified if it was a PseudoSanta. TruthInTelevision for many men with white beards, which may have invented the phrase "Santa is fake!".