Who is Santa Claus? When asked the question, we simply say, “Oh the chubby, round belly guy
with a white beard who owns a gazillion reindeers and delivers presents to every single kid
through a chimney on Christmas Eve.”
How about where does Santa live and with whom? “Pshh that’s easy, he lives at the north pole sur-
rounded by tons of elves and Mrs. Claus of course.”
What about, where did Santa come from? Where was he born, does he have parents… siblings?
We don’t quite know how to answer those, do we? So, we know the basics of Santa but what about
his deep-rooted HISTORY? Well…
Santa Claus, although a myth, does originate from real life events and a real person. St Nicholas
was born around 280 A.D in what is known today as Turkey. He was a monk/bishop who dedicat-
ed his life to helping those in need and being a good Samaritan, which gave him the popular title
of ‘protector of children and sailors’
Over the years, St Nicholas was celebrated by those impacted and inspired by him. Once the word
spread from Europe and Asia to the West (America), Saint Nicholas was nicknamed to Sinter
Klaas which is the shortened form of Saint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). The evolution of
the name thus began, and ‘Santa Claus’ was born.
A poet named Clement Clarke Moore in 1822, wrote a poem for his daughters which helped to cre-
ate the now popular notion that Santa Claus travels in a reindeer driven sleigh every Christmas
Eve, to slither down chimneys and deliver gifts to children. A cartoonist named Thomas Nast was
the one to put the icing on the cake, by creating an illustration of the chubby jolly guy with the
white beard and red suit and pitched the idea of elves, Mrs. Claus, the workshop and the north
pole.
It is said that Rudolph was also later added to the pack when Robert L. May, a copywriter, created
a Christmas themed poem of the red nosed reindeer that guided Santa through a foggy Christmas
Eve night.
From a loved good Samaritan, to a thoughtful father, creative hands and the art of tradition; the
Legacy of Santa Claus was created and today, globally lives on.
Written by: Alicia
Source:
History.com Editors. (2010, February 16). Santa Claus. Retrieved from https://
www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus.
Japaridze, M., & Nast, T. (2018, December 25). From St. Nicholas to Santa Claus: the
surprising origins of Kris Kringle. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
news/2018/12/131219-santa-claus-origin-history-christmas-facts-st-nicholas/.
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