The
History of Santa Claus
The
origin of Santa Claus can be traced back to St. Nicholas, who was Bishop
of Myra (in modern Turkey) during the 4th century. It was believed
that he gave gifts secretly. Gradually it became a custom for parents
to give their children gifts in the name of St. Nicholas, who was also
regarded as the patron saint of children.
In
1613, when the Dutch founded the colony of New Amsterdam, they brought
to the New World the custom of giving gifts on the St. Nicholas' feast
day, December 6. After the English conquered the Dutch colony in
1664 and renamed it New York, they adopted many of the Dutch customs including
the Dutch St. Nicholas (Sant Nikolaas or Sinter Clas in Dutch). Eventually
they changed his name to Santa Claus. However, since the English traditionally
exchanged presents on Christmas Day, they changed St. Nicholas' day of
gift giving from December 6 to December 25. From New York the legend of
St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, spread throughout the American colonies.
Many
details of the appearance and behavior that are attributed to Santa Claus
originated in the 19th century. In the famous poem A Visit From St.
Nicholas (1822), Clement C. Moore introduced a number of essential elements
of the legend, such as the sleigh, the eight reindeer, and the conception
of St. nick as a jovial, red-cheeked, plump elf with a while beard. Thomas
Nast, the American political cartoonist, created the modern image of Santa
claus in illustrations made during the 1860's. Nast was also the
first to state that Santa's residence is the North Pole.
Other
Countries
Many
countries have different versions of the American Santa Claus. In England,
Father Christmas brings presents. In France the gift bearer is Le
Petit Noel. In the Netherlands, gift-giving still takes place on
December 6, the feast of St. Nicholas. There the saint is pictured
as a dignified bishop wearing colorful medieval robes. In Italy a with,
known as Befana, brings gifts to children on January 6, which is the day
the Magi visited the Christ Child at Bethlehem. In Russia, Grandfather
Frost brings gifts on New Year's Day, while in Germany, Christkindl, or
the Christ Child, does so at Christmas. A corruption or modification
of the German name Christkindl is Kriss Kringle, a name often applied to
Santa Claus. The idea of a figure similar to Santa claus who brings
presents to children has also spread to some non-Christian countries
This
information has been taken from Merit Students Encyclopedia