Partly based on a true story, a little girl writes to the editor of a newspaper concerning the existence of Santa Claus.

Two neurotics, working for a suicide hotline on the night of Christmas Eve, get caught up in a catastrophe when a pregnant woman, her abusive boyfriend, and a transvestite visit their office.

Fyodor is a failed actor, he is trying to help his younger brother Nikita learn to walk again. Dressed as Santa Claus, Fyodor goes out on orders, hoping to raise money for an operation during the holidays. He is the saddest Santa Claus in the world, because, on top of all the other troubles, just before the New Year, his beloved girlfriend left him. And so, on December 31, he rings the doorbell of another apartment to give gifts from his parents to another pair of children, and then... the real New Year's magic begins. The girl Masha, seeing Father Frost, immediately decides that this particular Father Frost should fall in love with her mother and become a father for her and her brother Tolya. But that is not all. Each hero of this story, even those who do not believe in Miracles at all, receives their long-awaited gift, finds happiness, love and faith that the New Year is truly a holiday that can completely change life.

Festive experimental animation

The Mailman decides to answer some of the most common questions about Santa Claus, and tells us about a small baby named Kris who was left on the doorstep of the Kringle family (toymakers). When Kris grew up, he wanted to deliver toys to the children of Sombertown. But its Burgermeister (Herr Meisterburger) is too mean to let that happen. And to make things worse, there's an evil wizard named Winter who lives between the Kringles and Sombertown, but Kris manages to melt Winter's heart (as well as the comely schoolteacher's) and deliver his toys.

Our tale begins with poor toy maker Samuel Claus setting off in search of a new life. However, he finds himself in a peculiar forest from which he cannot escape. It takes only a touch of fairy magic before he is making toys again.

The children set a trap for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, knowing he has to come through the window because their estate has no chimney. Their father, who abandoned them and his wife before she inherited her fortune, plans to burglarize that very house, unaware of the occupants or the trap.

Disgusted that he's been moved from the hardware department to duties as a department store Santa Claus and angry that his wife wants to go to work and earn money, young father Joe Peters deserts his family. While in his Santa role, Joe chances to meet his daughter and discovers what she really wants for Christmas.

The scene opens with two little children kneeling at the feet of their mother and saying their prayers. The mother tucks the children snugly in bed and leaves the room. Santa Claus suddenly appears on the roof, just outside the children's bedroom window, and proceeds to enter the chimney, taking with him his bag of presents and a little hand sled for one of the children. He goes down the chimney and suddenly appears in the children's room through the fireplace. He distributes the presents and mysteriously causes the appearance of a Christmas tree laden with gifts. The scene closes with the children waking up and running to the fireplace just too late to catch old Santa Claus by the legs. Santa Claus makes his escape through the chimney and the children are delighted with the presents which he has left. This is a remarkably clear picture, especially pleasing to children.

Young unmarried Zhenya and her little son Grisha are preparing for the New Year. Grisha really hopes that Santa Claus will come to visit them. Zhenya also has a dream that sooner or later she will meet a man whom she will love and who will be her son’s father. On New Year's Eve, old friends come to Zhenya — the Ogurtsov couple and the Kalinkin couple. They noisily see off the old year, after which Zhenya tries to put her son to bed. But Grisha does not want to sleep - he was determined to wait for Santa Claus. And, to mom’s great surprise, Santa Claus comes! Although no one called him ...