The History Behind Santa
The history behind Christmas revolves around Jesus’s birth, but when thinking of this holiday, many first think about Santa Claus and the festivities of gift giving. Not as many people, however, seem to know his backstory.
Santa Claus’s story dates back several centuries, starting around 280 A.D. in Patara, Turkey. St. Nicholas, now commonly known as Santa Claus, was known to be a very kind, generous person who gave up his time and money to travel and help the sick and less fortunate. Even after he passed away, he was known all across Europe as the protector of children. St. Nicholas was later canonized in June of 1446, and every year his feast day falls on December 6th. Years after his death, St. Nicholas continued to hold a strong reputation, and he has become one of the most popular saints in all of Europe. The name Santa Claus was soon originated from “Sinter Klaas,” another way of saying “Sint Nikolaas,” which is Saint Nicholas in Dutch.
In the early 1820s, the famous poem by Clement Clark Moore “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas” described a more modern version of Santa Claus that we more commonly imagine him as, now. Following this poem, Thomas Nast, a famous cartoonist, created the illustration that we know and recognize Santa Claus of today, for the magazine, “Harper’s Weekly.” Additionally, around this time, Washington Irving, a short story writer and essayist from the 1700s published stories, noted St. Nicholas as the patron saint of New York, furthermore spreading the word of Santa Claus.
Later, stores began to promote the idea of Christmas shopping, a tradition that has become very popularized in several regions across the world. Companies decided to use Thomas Nast’s image of Santa Claus for their festive advertisements. Then in the 1900s, movies starring this portrayal of Santa Claus were brought about. Following this, Macy’s decided to feature Santa Claus in each of their stores where children could tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Eventually, Santa Claus became the face of Christmas with his name being plastered on a variety of Christmas themed items, from billboards to soda bottles. Every Christmas morning, kids wake up excited for his presents, growing up to love Santa Claus and the joy he brings.