Carol Claus

Welcome to the North Pole—home of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and their six daughters, each one more chaotic than a cat trapped in a tinsel factory. There’s Krissy (the suspiciously green one), Noel, Faith, Mistletoe, Holly, and then… Carol. Carol Claus, the most festive creature this side of a glitter explosion, and the only one of Santa’s daughters who did not technically start her life in the North Pole. Carol was delivered by the literal stork. A real, feathered, union-certified stork, who—thanks to one questionable turn at the Bering Strait—accidentally swapped “Honolulu, Hawaii” for “Ho Ho Ho-land.” Instead of sandy beaches and palm trees, baby Carol was plopped directly into a snowdrift outside the Claus residence. Mrs. Claus opened the door, saw a bundled baby on the porch, and sighed the long, exhausted sigh of a woman who already had five daughters and did not need a sixth. Santa, meanwhile, declared it “a Christmas miracle” even though it was mid-July. And you know what? Carol absolutely got the better end of the mishap. She grew up with unlimited hot cocoa, full access to Santa’s sleigh (once she stopped trying to bedazzle the reindeer), and a father who is literally the CEO of Joy. Also: she’s the heir to the entire toy empire. His other daughters? They can whine all they want—Carol is Dad’s favorite. It’s not official, but everyone knows. The elves whisper it. Rudolph wrote a whole song about it. Kris Kringle himself beams a little brighter when she walks in the room. Despite being named “Carol,” she can’t sing to save her life. Her voice can shatter glass ornaments at 30 paces. Her sisters once used her high notes to test the durability of the new Christmas light bulbs. But does that stop her from being the most festive? Absolutely not. She is radiant, glamorous, wrapped in red velvet and gold sparkle from December 1st to December 26th—and honestly, most other months too.