Alexa Can Enable Santa Claus Personality for the Holidays

This holiday season, Alexa users can tap Santa Claus himself in for free as a celebrity voice for the personal assistant.

As first discovered by The Verge, the skill to enable Santa’s voice is available and can be used simply by saying, “Alexa, enable ‘Hey Santa.’ Afterwards, the jolly man himself will step in and respond to questions and commands. This specific skill is also available for Canadian users as well.

Using the Santa personality, Alexa users can stay in the festive spirit by asking Santa to sing many of the Christmas carols. Some examples include: “Hey Santa, sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas, “Hey Santa, sing the 12 Days of Christmas,” and
“Hey Santa, sing Deck the Halls.”

In addition, the Santa will respond to seasonal commands such as, “Hey Santa, tell me about your reindeer.” Others include, “Hey Santa, what is your favourite food?” and “Hey Santa, happy holidays.” In fact, many of the base Alexa commands can be used with the Santa personality. Santa will respond when asking for a timer, tell a joke, and respond when asking to play a song.

Amazon confirms that Santa is supported on most Echo devices aside from the first-generation Echo and Echo Dot and wearables. Currently, the Santa skill is also not available on Fire TV and Fire Tablets. Though, that may change.

Amazon has supported plenty of celebrity voices in the past including Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa Macarthy, and Shaq. However, those are paid skills.

Update: Amazon just sent iPhone in Canada a list of Alexa commands for Santa:

Hey Santa utterances to try (after enabling Hey Santa): 

• “Hey Santa, sing Jingle Bells.”
• “Hey Santa, sing Up on the Rooftop.”
• “Hey Santa, sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
• “Hey Santa, sing the 12 Days of Christmas.”
• “Hey Santa, sing Deck the Halls.”
• “Hey Santa, tell me a story.”
• “Hey Santa, tell me the North Pole news.”
• “Hey Santa, sing karaoke.”
• “Hey Santa, what’s your favorite recipe?”
• “Hey Santa, can you tell me about your sleigh?”
• “Hey Santa, am I on the naughty or nice list?”

Click here to visit Amazon.ca, as numerous Echo devices are on sale right now.