The Santa Claus Christmas

he history of Santa Claus begins with a man called
There once lived a bishop in Myra of Asia Minor (what is now Turkey) by the name of  Nicolaus (also spelled Nicholas). He was well known for his wisdom and especially his charity. Nicholas of Myra became one of the most beloved saints and the object of extreme veneration, to a degree unequaled in the case of any other saint. He was cast into exile and prison during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian and released by Constantine the Great; he died in Myra about  350, and in the year 1087 his body was brought by Italian merchants from Myra to the city of Bari in Italy, where his relics are still preserved and venerated in the church of San Nicola, which they built in his honor. Bari is a port town in southern Italy. 

Soon Christian pilgrims from all over the world came to visit the church of Saint Nicholas. These pilgrims took the legend of Saint Nicholas back to their native lands. As the legend of Saint Nicholas spread it would take on the characteristics of each country.

In Europe during the 12th century Saint Nicholas Day became a day of gift giving and charity. Germany, France, and Holland celebrated December 6th as a religious holiday and gave gifts to their children and the poor.

The emperor Justinian built a church in his honor in Constantinople around the year 540. Nicholas is the patron saint of entire nations, including Greece, Russia, Sicily, and Lorraine, and many cities throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, and Italy. He is also patron saint of  children, bakers, merchants, and mariners.

The Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6 has been observed with great enthusiasm throughout Medieval Europe over the centuries. This enthusiasm was due to the many legends that had grown up around Nicholas: that he had distributed gifts to the poor at night through their windows, had fasted while a baby, had helped dowerless maidens, saved a city from famine, had aided a ship in distress.

Because of the gift-giving legends associated with Nicholas, it was held (especially in Belgium and Holland) that on the Eve the Feast of Nicholas, the bishop himself would come from heaven and visit children in their homes, giving gifts to those who had been  good. Nicholas, decked out in full ecclesiastical garb (bishop's vestments, with miter and crozier), would arrive on a flying gray horse (or white donkey, depending on the custom). In some variations of the legend, he was accompanied by Black Peter, an elf whose job was to punish children who had been bad.

There is universal consensus that the person most responsible for shaping the American version of Santa Claus is Dr. Clement Clark Moore, a theology and classics professor at Union Seminary. What did Moore do to earn this honor? He wrote a simple poem for his children in 1822 entitled, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," that begins with the now famous words,

There is a legend that Moore wrote this poem on Christmas Eve, 1822, during a carriage ride to his home in Greenwich Village and that the inspiration for the St. Nicholas in his story was the jolly Dutchman driving the carriage. Closer to the truth is the observation of Emrich that Moore was probably inspired by Irving's Knickerbocker History and "The Children's Friend," which he almost certainly would have read. Specifically Irving's description of Dutchmen in his story was Moore's inspiration for St. Nick, claims Emrich. It must also be said that it is possible that Moore was familiar with the stories about Odin or Thor (see footnote #1).

In any case, in describing St. Nicholas, Moore went beyond anything that had ever been said yet. It was Moore who increased the number of reindeer to eight and gave us their names. It was he who explicitly described Santa going up and down the chimney leaving toys in stockings hung by the fireplace. Moore's St. Nick was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf;" he carried a bundle of toys on his back; "he had eyes that twinkled, dimples that were merry, cheeks like roses, a broad face, and a little round belly." It's interesting that Moore's Santa was also a small elf who flew in a "miniature sleigh" pulled by eight "tiny" reindeer.

The poem wasn't published until a year later, and that secretly, without Moore's consent. He didn't think it worthy of publishing. Many others did, however, as it was an overnight sensation. Only 15 years later did he permit it to be included in a volume of collected works.

It was Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast, that gave us the picture of Santa Claus, now so common. Nast, the "father of American political cartooning," drew more than 2200 cartoons for Harper's Weekly from 1862 through 1886. Many of these were of Santa Claus at Christmas time. Before Nast, St. Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock (as he had been pictured in the first edition of Moore's poem). Nast was clearly inspired by Moore's 1823 poem, but he also added additional features to the Santa Claus evolution, such as Santa's home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of all the good and bad children of the world.

Believe it or not, the Coca-Cola company also contributed to the modern Santa Claus. Beginning in 1931 and for 35 years, Coke ran advertisements that featured a human-size Santa (not elf-size) drinking Coke. These ads contributed much to the modern image of Santa Claus (and the drinking of coke!).¹. .

St. Nicholas is given many different names in many different countries such as Father Christmas - Kris Kringle - Sankt Nikolaus - Santa Claus - Sinterklaas - La Befana - St. Nick - Pere Noel.

Many countries have kept their own customs and traditions of Saint Nicholas. In some cultures Saint Nicholas travels with an assistant to help him. In Holland, Sinterklaas sails in on a ship arriving on December 6th. He carries a big book which tells him how the Dutch children have behaved during the past year. Good children are rewarded with gifts and the bad ones are taken away by his assistant, Black Peter. 

In Germany Saint Nicholas also travels with an assistant, known as Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus (Bavarian), or Pelzebock, and comes with a sack on his back and a rod (on which candies are tied) in his hand. Good children receive a gift, but naughty children are punished by the assistant with a few hits of the rod. Especially wicked children are even stuck into the sack and carried for a block or two, with a crowd of cheering children following Knecht Ruprecht.

In Italy La Befana is a good witch who dresses all in black and brings gifts to children on the Epiphany, January 6th. In many Spanish countries; Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and South America, the children wait for the Three Kings to bring their Christmas gifts. 

In France Father Christmas or Pere Noel bring gifts for the children. Switzerland has the Christkindl or Christ Child who bears gifts. In some towns children  await the Holy Child and in others Christkindl is a girl-angel who comes down from heaven bearing gifts.

The Scandinavian countries celebrate with an elf, called the julenisse or the juletomte who bears gifts. And in England Father Christmas, an more austere and thinner version of Santa Claus, brings gifts.

In North American it is the round and plump "Ho Ho Ho'ing" Santa Claus who is married to "Mrs. Claus" with whom he lives at the northpole, together with a bunch of elves who work all year round in a Christmas factory making toys. Comes Christmas Eve he harnasses his reindeers to his sled and off he flies - with Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer in the lead - through the night sky to the children of the world, swooping down chimneys to fill up stockings hanging from fireplace mantels with goodies.and place a load of giftwrapped presents under Christmas trees.
 
 

As you can see, today's tale of Santa Claus and the custom of impersonating him has hardly any resemblance anymore with the real Saint Nicolaus, and his reason for visiting the poor at Christmas. The only thing they have still in common is the passing out of gifts. However, the original Saint Nicolaus did it for the love of Christ and for the poor on His behalf. The modern day "invented" Santa comes with loads of gifts  - but seldom for the poor - and many of the children don't even know the real reason why there is a Christmas. They only dream of "Santa" and of the many toys they hope to get, and know nothing of the Savior born in the city of David and laid in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.