Santa Claus

Today were going to take a look at Santas around the world in honor of Nikolaustag, or St. Nick’s Day!

Santa Claus is derived from Sinterklaas (Dutch), or St. Nicholas, who was a Greek Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) in the 4th Century AD. He gained a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as leaving coins in the shoes people left out for him, and became the model for Santa Claus. December 6th is his name-day and therefore the day celebrating him in many European Countries. In Germany, for example, he visits the evening of Dec. 5th and leaves gifts to be found on the morning of Dec. 6th (as long as you leave out your shoes!) As a bishop, he wore a Bishop’s Hat, golden Robes and had a white beard.

So how did Sinterklaas become Santa Claus? Word has it, the tradition of Sinterklaas was reinvited by a former Dutch colonial town who wanted a symbol of the city’s non-English past. In 1810, John Pintard published a pamphlet with illustrations where he calls for Saint Nicholas to be made the patron Saint of New York and to start a Sinterklaas tradition. His pamphlet included an old Dutch Sinterklaas poem in which Sinterklaas was referred to as “Sancta Claus”. Two years later, John Irving wrote his famous poem: The Night Before Christmas: where Santa Claus was first born as a red-suited, rosy-cheeked, Jolly old elf! Ultimately, Pintard’s initiative helped morph Sinterklaas into Santa Claus, but freed of his Bishop’s Robes. Source: Wikipedia

Sinterklaa visits children in the Netherlands, de Kerstman or le Père Noël comes bearing gifts for children in Belgium on Christmas day, Tomte comes to Scandanavian households, Papai Noel is known in Brazil, Mikulás comes to Hungarian Children, Croatian children expect a visit from Sveti_Nikola, Kleeschen comes to children in Luxembourg, in Slovenia, Miklavž comes with an angel and a devil (Krampus), Italy boasts Babbo Natale & La Befana & in Russia Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) comes visiting!