Ho Ho Ho Lettering with Lights

About this drawing

Those big Ho Ho Ho letters spell out the most famous laugh on Earth. Grammar fans call this an onomatopoeia, a word that imitates a sound. Three slow, deep syllables suggest a large, cheerful man laughing from the belly, quite unlike a quick "tee hee."

English had written laughter as "ho" for centuries before Santa came along, including in old plays, where it could even sound like a giant or a villain. The American poem of 1823 gave its visitor a round little belly that shook like a bowl of jelly when he laughed. Illustrators and storytellers took it from there, and by the twentieth century the phrase had become Santa's signature.

Canada has made the joke official. Since the 1980s, Canada Post has listed Santa's postal code as H0H 0H0, and letters sent there get a reply, thanks to volunteers. Laughter also looks different on the page around the world. Spanish speakers write "jajaja," Brazilians text "kkkk," and Thai speakers use "5555" since the number five sounds like "ha" in Thai. Big, simple capitals like these are also great for kids who are learning letters, as an H and an O are easy to recognize and trace. Say it three times slowly, and you've got the voice.

• ho ho ho
• letters
• christmas lights
• word art