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Children all over the world look forward to Christmas, when Santa Claus will put on his
red suit, hitch his magical flying reindeer to his sleigh and bring treats and toys to
good girls and boys - but where did the story of Santa come from?
The history of Santa Claus begins more than a thousand years ago, in what is now Turkey,
with a man named Nikolaos of Myra, now called Saint Nicholas.
He was born in the year 270 AD, the son of wealthy parents.
His parents died when he was young, and he inherited their money.
Saint Nicholas was very religious, and became a Christian Bishop.
Because he was kind as well as rich, he gained a reputation for helping the poor as well
as secretly giving gifts to people who needed them.
One famous story about Saint Nicholas is the story of how he helped a poor man and his
three daughters.
The man was so poor that his daughters did not have enough money to get married.
One night, Saint Nicholas threw a small bag of gold through the window into the poor man's
house.
The next night he threw another bag of gold through the window.
The third night, the poor man decided to wait by the window to see who was leaving the gold,
and so Saint Nicholas dropped it down the chimney instead.
The bag landed in the stocking of one of the girls, who had hung it by the fire to dry.
With the gold from Saint Nicholas, they had enough money to get married.
Throughout the middle ages, children were given gifts in honor of Saint Nicholas.
This was usually done the night before December 6th, which was the day that he had died.
In the 16th century, Protestant reformer Martin Luther suggested moving the date that gifts
were given were given from December 6th to Christmas, to help bring more focus to Jesus
Christ, but Saint Nicholas didn't get left behind.
In England, he became Father Christmas.
In Denmark, Sinterklaas.
In Austria and Germany he became a helper to Christkindl, or the Christ child, who began
to be the bringer of gifts.
When European colonists began to settle the new world they brought all of these characters
- as well as pre-Christian legends and mythology - with them, and they all began to mix together.
Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, Christkindl became Kris Kringle, and people started trying
to figure out exactly how this new story went.
In 1823, Clement C. Moore, a poet from New York, published the poem 'A Visit from St.
Nicholas,' now better known as 'The Night Before Christmas.'
In the poem, Moore wrote that Santa drove a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, landed
on the roof, and filled stockings with presents.
Moore's Santa was dressed in fur, but nothing was said about what color it was, and he was
described as a little elf.
More details of Santa's story can be credited to the German-born American cartoonist Thomas
Nast.
Beginning in 1863 and over a period of 20 years, Nast created Christmas illustrations
for the magazine Harper's Weekly.
He portrayed Santa as a grandfather-like person in a red suit.
He also drew pictures showing that Santa lived at the North Pole, and of children mailing
him letters.
By the time the 20th century began, Santa Claus looked very much like he does today,
although his legend continues to evolve.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Santa Claus today!
Goodbye till next time!