A Look at LEGO® Christmas Sets From Past to Present
Welcome back for the final installment of the 12 Bricks of Christmas Past! This is my countdown of traditional Christmas subjects done over the years in LEGO® form. Seasonal LEGO® sets are always a huge hit over the holidays. I hope you enjoyed this look at 12 traditional topics/items that help make the holidays unique. It’s time to wrap this all up (pun intended) with one last article. And if you missed any of the days (or want a refresher) click below for all the previous articles. Thanks kindly and read on for today’s post.
- DAY 1: ELVES! 🧝♀️
- DAY 2: PRESENTS! 🎁
- DAY 3: WREATHS! 🟢
- DAY 4: X-WINGS! ✖🚀
- DAY 5: NUTCRACKERS! 🥜🔨
- DAY 6: TRAINS! 🚂
- DAY 7: GINGERBREAD! 🍪🏡
- DAY 8: SNOWMEN! ⛄
- DAY 9: CHRISTMAS TREES! 🎄
- DAY 10: REINDEER! 🦌
- DAY 11: SANTA’S SLEIGH 🛷
It’s Christmas Eve my friends! Tonight’s the night that Santa Claus will circumnavigate the globe and deliver an unfathomable amount of gifts to all the kiddos. Santa has come up A LOT in LEGO® form. Over the years he’s become a staple of the brand’s holiday celebrating. There are plenty of Santa’s to look at whether brick-built or in minifigure form. Today’s list is the big finale and a big topic, so get ready for all the Santa you can handle! Let’s get started.
Two Santas / Unconfirmed Set / 1977 / #245 / 37 pcs
We’re starting our final Bricks of Christmas Past with a unique one. According to Brickset.com, there’s no confirmation on this as a set. But I had to include it because it looks hilarious. What’s with Santa’s expression? To me, it looks like he just met his doppelganger and is in existential shock! It’s amazing. And why are there two Santas? It’s a question for the ages.
Santa and Chimney / Seasonal / 1992 / #1549 / 62 pcs
There’s that crazy face again. Although I guess that could be his nose? It wouldn’t matter though, I see it as ‘mouth-aghast’ Santa. Sorry.
Santa on Skis / Promotional Item / 1999 / #1128 / 21 pcs
This is another promotional set that came with Milka chocolate products in Germany. At first I thought Santa skiing was bizarre, but when you think about it, Santa has 364 days off in a year. That’s a lot of leisure time with not a lot of options. Skiing makes the most sense when you think about it.
Santa Claus / Seasonal Polybags / 1986-2021 / 16-77 pcs
Quite a few polybags of Santa Claus have released over the years. You can really see the evolution of the design in the next batch of photos.
Santa’s Truck / Promotional Polybag / 2000 / #1177 / 27 pcs / 1 Minifig
This promotional polybag was exclusive to Japan and came with Coca-Cola products. That explains the inclusion of the polar bear at least. The use of a printed cardboard background is not something you see too often in a LEGO® set.
Cool Santa / Seasonal / 2009 / #40000 / 152 pcs
Let it go on record that I love this set. It’s kind of wild! Here are 3 different Santa builds with yet another skiing Kris Kringle. And he’s also snowboarding. AND sledding! Seeing a sporty Santa is making me laugh in all the best ways.
Santa Ornaments / Seasonal / 2013 & 2020 / #850850 & #854037
A couple of Santa ornaments for hanging on your tree.
Santa Magnets / Seasonal / 2007 & 2010 / #852199 & #2855167
Who doesn’t love a good magnet? Very practical things.
Advent Calendars / Seasonal / 1998-2019 / 10-14 pcs
It’s not Bricks of Christmas Past without a look at advent calendars. This first section looks at traditional non-licensed Santas. Bathing Santa in 2010 is…well, it’s a choice. Moving on.
Advent Calendars / Star Wars / 2011-2020
The Star Wars advent calendars do a great job of giving us some fun variations on Santa Claus. These figs are very sought-after on the resale market and for good reason – most are pretty awesome. For 5 years straight we got some great legacy characters as Santa.
Santa’s Visit / Seasonal / 2015 / #40125 / 167 pcs / 1 Minifig
An early ‘visit’ set from 2015 which is a nice vignette scene with all the appropriate staples of the season; tree, fireplace and chair.
Snowglobe / Seasonal GWP / 2016 / #40223 / 215 pcs / 1 Minifig
This is one of my favourite GWP sets. The jewelry box aesthetic is a nice take on a holiday keepsake and makes for a pretty lovely display piece.
Santa / Seasonal / 2017 / #40206 / 155 pcs
Our last set for the Bricks of Christmas Past is a seasonal set of just the big guy himself. For this set Santa gets to have a seat. No more standing around all day for him. This is ‘Mall Santa’ at his most comfortable.
He’s coming to town!
And that’s a wrap on the Bricks of Christmas Past! I really hope you enjoyed all the topics and photos. I had a great time looking into past LEGO® sets – there are some interesting items out there! Thanks so much for reading along. And I would love to hear some suggestions for next year. Any thoughts on countdowns or lists to explore? What was your favourite day or topic? And what’s your favourite version of Santa to date? Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
And lastly, I wish everyone a truly happy, warm and safe holiday season. I hope there’s lots of building blocks in your stockings and under your tree. But most importantly, I hope you’re enjoying the day with loved ones. All the best to you, your friends and family. Big hugs from the East Coast and, as always, keep on brickin’. 🧱
-Frank
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