The Origin and History of Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a fixture of modern Christmas; a big, jolly man dressed in red with a snowy white beard who brings toys to all the good children around the world on Christmas Eve. But the history of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, goes back nearly two thousand years, and he is the subject of legends in many different cultures.
St. Nicholas was a monk born in what is now Turkey, around 280 A.D. He was very well known for both piety and generosity. It's said that he gave up all of his wealth and traveled around helping the weak and the poor; in fact, one specific story says that he paid the dowries of three poor sisters so they could marry and avoid being sold into slavery by their impoverished father. St. Nicholas also became known as a protector of children.
His popularity in Europe remained virtually unchanged through the Protestant Reformation, which discouraged the admiration and worship of saints. Holland especially loved St. Nicholas; they called him Sint Nikolaas, or Sinter Klaas for short.
The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch name Sinter Klaas. He made his first appearance in the U.S. in the late 18th century when Dutch immigrants gathered in December to celebrate the anniversary of his death, and was popularized when Washington Irving called him the "patron saint of New York" in 1809.
Santa Claus can be found all over the world in varying forms. In countries such as Switzerland and Germany, St. Nicholas accompanies an angel named Kris Kringle on his journey to deliver gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. In Sweden, an elf named Jultomten, who is thought to live under houses, delivers presents to children. In England, it's Father Christmas who brings gifts and treats to children in their stockings each year. In Russia, the figure is a woman named Baboushka, who gives children presents on Christmas Eve in hopes of finding baby Jesus as a way to make up for giving the wrong directions to Bethlehem to the three wise men.
In 1822, Clement Mark Moore wrote a poem for his daughters entitled, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" which later became known as "The Night Before Christmas." In it, St. Nicholas is portrayed as an elf riding a sleigh that is pulled by eight reindeer. More than one hundred years passed before the ninth reindeer, Rudolph, was added to the mix to help Santa find his way on a very foggy Christmas Eve. This poem helped to create the current image people have of Santa Claus.
In the present, the image of Santa Claus is everywhere around Christmas. He is featured on Christmas balls and as figurine Christmas tree ornaments. Mall Santas, which became popular in the 19th century as a way to help sell gifts, are all dressed as the jolly, portly elf of "The Night Before Christmas." Shapes of Santa Claus can be found on other Christmas tree decorations, and pictures, posters, even decorations made by schoolchildren, tend to feature him in some way.
St. Nicholas was a monk born in what is now Turkey, around 280 A.D. He was very well known for both piety and generosity. It's said that he gave up all of his wealth and traveled around helping the weak and the poor; in fact, one specific story says that he paid the dowries of three poor sisters so they could marry and avoid being sold into slavery by their impoverished father. St. Nicholas also became known as a protector of children.
His popularity in Europe remained virtually unchanged through the Protestant Reformation, which discouraged the admiration and worship of saints. Holland especially loved St. Nicholas; they called him Sint Nikolaas, or Sinter Klaas for short.
The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch name Sinter Klaas. He made his first appearance in the U.S. in the late 18th century when Dutch immigrants gathered in December to celebrate the anniversary of his death, and was popularized when Washington Irving called him the "patron saint of New York" in 1809.
Santa Claus can be found all over the world in varying forms. In countries such as Switzerland and Germany, St. Nicholas accompanies an angel named Kris Kringle on his journey to deliver gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. In Sweden, an elf named Jultomten, who is thought to live under houses, delivers presents to children. In England, it's Father Christmas who brings gifts and treats to children in their stockings each year. In Russia, the figure is a woman named Baboushka, who gives children presents on Christmas Eve in hopes of finding baby Jesus as a way to make up for giving the wrong directions to Bethlehem to the three wise men.
In 1822, Clement Mark Moore wrote a poem for his daughters entitled, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" which later became known as "The Night Before Christmas." In it, St. Nicholas is portrayed as an elf riding a sleigh that is pulled by eight reindeer. More than one hundred years passed before the ninth reindeer, Rudolph, was added to the mix to help Santa find his way on a very foggy Christmas Eve. This poem helped to create the current image people have of Santa Claus.
In the present, the image of Santa Claus is everywhere around Christmas. He is featured on Christmas balls and as figurine Christmas tree ornaments. Mall Santas, which became popular in the 19th century as a way to help sell gifts, are all dressed as the jolly, portly elf of "The Night Before Christmas." Shapes of Santa Claus can be found on other Christmas tree decorations, and pictures, posters, even decorations made by schoolchildren, tend to feature him in some way.