Merry Christmas to all you Christians (and folks who just like getting gifts)!  It struck me last night that the myth of Santa Claus is awfully similar to the story of Kubera that we get from the Mahbarata.  Both live in the far north, both are famous for their wealth & generosity, and both are surrounded by halflings-- they are called Elves in the case of Santa Claus, and Yakshas in the Mahabharata.  Kubera is King of the Yakshas.I recall that it was Kubera who donated wealth for the construction of the palace at Indraprastha.Is it possible that the legend of Kubera made it all the way to Northern Europe and survived the arrival of Christianity?