Growing up as a child in the Mid Western United States, I often wondered about the history of Santa Claus. Where did he come from? Has he always been around? If you want to discover the history of Santa, you have to go way back in history. Deep in the past you will discover that Santa Claus, as we know him today, is a product of many different stories, characters, people, legends and myths.
Nicholas or "St. Nick"
Born around 280 A.D., Bishop Nicholas was said to be a rich man and very generous to children. Nicholas lived in Izmir, what is now the modern day country of Turkey. It is said he would often toss gifts into the windows of poor children. Nicholas was raised to the status of miracle worker by the Orthodox Church. Because he helped children and the poor, the Roman Catholic Church named Saint Nicholas as patron saint of children and seafarers. It is widely believed that this is the beginnings of Santa history and gift giving
From St. Nick to Father Christmas
By the time of the Renaissance, St. Nicholas is the most popular saint in Europe, especially around the Protestant areas of northern and central Germany. Saint Nicholas became known as der Weinachtsmann, or "the Christmas man". St. Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 6th and children would leave their freshly cleaned shoes by the front door hoping St. Nicholas would fill them with sweets, chocolate, fruits and nuts. Children who had been good got their wish, children who were bad got only a switch. By the end of the 1600's, England had brought over from Germany the Christmas tree tradition, rituals of gift-giving on Christmas Eve, and the legend of Santa Claus, or "Father Christmas" as he would be known in England. Christmas Day became a festival for children and a time of gift-giving.
The Modern Day Santa Claus
Today's Santa Claus gets his name from the legend of "Sinter Klaas", a story brought over Dutch settlers to America sometime in the 17th century. In 1773 the name "St. A Claus" began to appear in the American press. Washington Irving, in his "History of New York" published in 1809, described the arrival of St. Nick on horseback each year on the Eve of Saint Nicholas. And in 1823 Clement Clarke Moore penned the poem, "A Visit From Saint Nicholas", more commonly known today as "The Night Before Christmas" and included the names of each reindeer and St. Nick's method for going up the chimney.
Many of the characteristics of the Santa Claus we know today can be traced back to these earlier traditions. Perhaps the most recognized images of Santa Claus appeared between 1860 and 1880 in Christmas issues of Harper's magazine. These fat, rotund, jolly images of Santa were created by illustrator Thomas Nast. The details of Santa's workshop, the North Pole, and the good-bad list were also created by Nast.
From way back in history until today, Santa Claus history has developed and formed into what we see in shopping malls today. The rotund, red-suited, white bearded, ageless and timeless legend of the giver of gifts. Some folks say Santa Claus is the embodiment of the true spirit of giving. Some say this modern image of Santa conflicts with the true meaning of Christmas and instead promotes greed and commercialism. I say, let's take the good, leave the bad and enjoy the holiday season this year for what is has become for me and my family. A time of giving, forgiving, being generous with the ones you love and spreading the gift of good cheer to all around us.