A Very Truity Christmas! The Personality Types of Our Favorite Holiday Characters

As we gather together, decking our halls and sipping hot cocoa, we thought we’d take a look at the personality profiles of our favorite holiday characters—the heroes and the villains! It’s up for interpretation, of course, but here’s our highly scientific view of where certain characters might fall. 

Ebenezer Scrooge: ISTJ

Have you muttered a grumpy ‘Bah Humbug!’ yet? Crotchety and miserly, this two-word catchphrase marks Ebenezer Scrooge as the ultimate holiday grouch, and one we can all identify with when things get stressful! 

Pinning him as an Introvert is an easy call. He lives alone and doesn’t seem to care that the entire town is scared of him. We can see his Judging traits right away too, in the rigid way he covets his time, keeps to a schedule that never deviates, and places his priority on work above all else. These also work with his Sensing tendencies, where he focuses on facts and figures while managing who owes him money. 

But it’s when he refuses to believe the ghost of his ex-business partner is appearing in front of him that we see his Thinking and Sensing qualities shine. Ebenezer refuses to believe that such a strange event could be real, clinging instead to logic to attempt to explain what he’s experiencing. In the end, he sees the error of his ways. But even then, his generosity remains in his Sensing and Thinking tendencies, applying method and logic to how Ebenezer views his new outlook to life.

Jack Frost: ENTP

A winter sprite or a King of fairies, the character of Jack Frost has evolved over the centuries. While there are multiple renditions of Jack Frost as a character, his personality traits remain fairly consistent.

He’s clearly an Extravert who thrives at mischief. Whether he’s painting the leaves with his melted treasure or nipping children’s noses in the dead of winter, Jack enjoys people. He delights in their laughter and is willing to do almost anything to bring joy to those around him. And this may seem to make him a Feeler. But the fact that he is calculated in his actions, figuring out pranks for his amusement rather than how others may feel, demonstrates that he’s a Thinker. 

Far from practical, Jack is interested in the possibility of everything. He follows his iNtuitive gut, which often leads him into trouble. He’s playful and spontaneous, always up for whatever winter game comes his way. These are his Perceiving traits at work, further illuminated by his bursts of energy and insistence on always blurring the lines between work and play.

Frosty The Snowman: ENFP

It could be argued that the personality traits we’re going to give Frosty are, in fact, the attributes of the magic hat. But since we don’t have any other stories of the hat bringing other personality types to life, we’ll give Frosty the benefit of the doubt.

From the moment he wakes up, Frosty is the epitome of an Extravert. He wants to dance and play and sing, delighted to meet as many new friends as he can. We can see his iNtuitive tendencies in the way he doesn’t just run and play with his new friends, he wants to experience as many new possibilities as he can. In fact, he’s so caught up in his games, he nearly runs into traffic and is saved by a policeman. 

The possibility of life invigorates him so much, that rather than trying to understand the world first, Frosty dives in and lets the world find him. His Feeling traits bring this even more to life. Frosty doesn’t want to think about this brief, magical life he’s given -- he wants to Feel it. He even comforts the children as he begins melting, telling them not to cry because he’ll be back. 

His flexibility and see where the day takes him attitude hint at his Perceiving traits, but really, it’s his ability to adapt, even when it means he melts, that marks Frosty as a Perceiver through and through.

The Grinch: ISFJ

He’s a mean one, his heart is two sizes too small, and how he hates Christmas, decorations and all.

There are a few Introverts on this list, but perhaps the Grinch is the most Introverted of them all. He lives alone with his dog and refuses to interact with the Whos down in Whoville in any capacity. Instead, he watches from above, while grumbling and stewing on their happy ways. 

But the Grinch isn’t satisfied with being grumpy on his own, and his refusal to understand why the Whos enjoy Christmas makes him seem like a Thinker in the beginning. He plots and plans, coming up with a way to ruin Christmas -- but that’s more of his Sensing and Judging traits coming through. He’s pragmatic and organized, detail-oriented and thorough. But we see his Sensing traits the most in how the Grinch has worked through the facts of why the Whos still sing at Christmas, even after his attempts to destroy their day. 

This also leads us to discover that it’s his ability to Feel, rather than his Thinking side, that helps him understand what the spirit of the holiday means to the Whos. Once he lets his Feeling qualities shine bright, his heart grows three sizes and he can finally allow himself to celebrate instead of brooding.

Santa Claus: INFJ

Kris Kringle, Saint Nicolas, Father Christmas. The cheerful man who lives at the North Pole has gone by many names throughout the centuries. And has just as many stories and legends told about him as well.

His jolly demeanor and friendly personality may seem to scream Extravert, but when we look at his behaviors in detail, a different picture emerges. He travels at night, when the world is asleep, delivers presents and eats cookies without being seen, and only comes out of his house once a year. Santa is quite clearly an Introvert. 

His list of who's been naughty and nice, along with keeping track of every single Christmas wish, make a solid case for Santa having Judging attributes. But his ability to tell who goes on the naughty or nice list is also a sign that he uses his iNtuition to make these final calls. And just being able to manage the logistics of planning and executing a global present delivery effort in a single night really shows that Santa works his Judging magic.

All that planning and organizing could make Santa appear to be a Thinker, but the fact that he simply goes out of his way to bring joy and happiness to children around the world shows that Santa not only prioritizes how he Feels, but values Feelings overall.

Summing Up

Our holiday traditions and stories may vary, but it’s the characters inside those stories that offer us the ability to glimpse inside ourselves. Whether they give us hope or teach us a lesson in what the holiday season is truly about, these characters give us the opportunity to understand who we are and what we value most. And it’s this understanding that allows not just the stories, but the characters within them, to live and grow, evolving just a little between each generation. Happy Holidays!