One of the most exciting and intriguing facets of Christmas is the legendary figure, Santa Claus. While many children simply cherish looking at a hefty, clad-in-red, white-bearded man during Christmas, there's a mystery hovering around this figure. Also known as Father Christmas in many regions, Santa Claus's origins are questioned by many. Was it a truly legendary figure whose deeds got him special recognition? Or was it simply a mythical character transformed over the ages? This Christmas, let us dive into the legend of Santa Claus and how the tales originated.
The usual excitement around Santa Claus is the story of him giving gifts to children on Christmas Eve. He is believed to live in the North Pole where he makes toys for children all year long. He has his group of faithful elves and reindeers to help him in this mammoth task. On Christmas Eve, he carries a load of toys on his sleigh, which is pulled by eight reindeers. He stops at each child's house and slides down the chimney to leave the gifts. Many kids grow up believing this story but how did this tale originate?
According to some beliefs, the origin of Santa Claus is linked to the Catholic figure of Saint Nicholas from the 4th-century. According to Britannica, the legend of this saint was carried to today's New York City by the Dutch settlers, who also brought the tradition of giving sweets and gifts to children. In fact, the name "Santa Claus" came from the Dutch “Sinterklass”, which was a shorter form of “Saint Nicholas”.
Our notion of how Santa Claus must look like came from a poem named “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Later, illustrations by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly in the 1860s added more visual detail to it. Coca-Cola ads, drawn by illustrator Haddon Sundblum in the 1930s, also helped us visualise the legendary character.
That's how we have come to know about Santa Claus in our modern-day contexts. Merry Christmas.
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