The History of Santa

Most of us grew up going to bed on Christmas Eve waiting for the morning to see what Santa Claus left us. Santa has been around for a long time. However, how did Santa Claus begin? Did he always leave presents under the tree?

Although the familiar image of Santa Claus is a North American invention of the 19th century, it has European roots and continues to influence the celebration of Christmas throughout the world.

In the fourth century, A. D. there was a bishop named Nicholas. He was very wealthy and generous, and loved to make children happy. He often would give gifts to the very poor children by throwing presents in their windows. After he died, he was canonized as a saint. His feast day is December 6, a holiday in many countries. He is the patron saint of children and seafarers.

The American version of the Santa Claus figure came from its name from the Dutch legend of Sinter Klass, brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century. As early as 1773, the name St. A. Claus appeared in the American Press. The Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem, A Visit From Saint Nicholas more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.

Moore included such details as the names of the reindeers, Santa Claus's laughs, and the method by which Santa returns up the chimney. The American image of Santa Claus was further elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast who depicted a chubby Santa for the Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860's to the 1880's. He added such details as Santa's workshop at the North Pole and Santa's list of the good and bad children of the world.

The fully detailed modern image of Santa Claus plays a part in Christmas celebration around the world. People are reminded of Santa Claus through advertising, greeting cards, decorations and the annual appearance of Santa's in department stores and shopping malls. The figure of Santa appears in motion pictures such as the Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and in songs such as Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1932) and Here Comes Santa Claus (1947). Children still write letters to Santa, leave out cookies, and milk the night before Christmas today.