Many children and, at times, adults, see Santa Claus as the Father of Christmas. But based on a new Christmas theory, Santa is a ghost.

The location of St. Nicholas of Myra’s burial place, who was the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus, has been a subject of discussion for many years. Historical records have referred to his supposed burial location, but careful inspections of the church’s grounds brought up nothing important. Meanwhile, a lot of people believed that Italian merchants had stolen his remains from the church throughout the Middle Ages. However, the director of Antalya’s Monument Authority, Cemil Karabayram, and his team found what they believed to be a tomb containing what might actually be St. Nicholas’ remains. Even though the discovery has not yet been confirmed by excavation and even though it will be a long, complex, and challenging task to complete, Karabayram is resolute about moving through with the next phase. Despite the mosaics on the floor, he continued, “We believe this shrine has not been destroyed at all. To restore the floor to its previous splendor, each tile must be taken out one at a time.”

Although much has been made of his life and stories, little is truly known about how Santa died. Still, the history books will undoubtedly need to be updated if the recent discovery of his actual grave is confirmed.