3 questions about deceptive characters

There's a reason he has a twinkle in his eyes.

Can you answer these three questions accurately? Be careful, because they're trickier than you think.

1. His real identity is a secret to many little kids. He wears a red suit and has a long white beard, and sneaks into houses at night to give birthday presents to children. What's his real name?
2. Some presidents are known as liars, while others are known for being extraordinarily truthful and not being able to tell a lie. In one exaggerated myth about the truth-telling tendencies of a past president, what specific kind of tree did Lincoln chop down?
3. A type of female entertainer who wears a kimono has been known to pretend to have certain emotions. What's the historical name of this kimono-wearing "companion" who traditionally entertained Chinese men?

The answers...

1. Santa Claus or Kris Kringle or St. Nicholas or Sinter Klaus is his name. Yet he gives out Christmas presents, not birthday presents.
2. It was not Abraham Lincoln in the myth; it was George Washington.
3. Traditionally, a Geisha is the name of a courtesan or entertainer, but it was Japanese men, not Chinese men, who they entertained.