Trends
Who is Santa Claus, the legend of Father Christmas
Santa Claus, who is also called Saint Nicholas is popular among children as Father Chrismas; in the modern world, he is thought of as…
Santa Claus, who is also called Saint Nicholas is popular among children as Father Christmas; in the modern world, he is thought of as a happy man who brings joy to children faces by gifting them toys on Christmas Eve.
However, his story dates all the way back to the 3rd century, when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children.
Who is Santa Claus?
The name Santa Claus is the English form of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas Sinterklaas. Though the modern Santa Claus is associated with a world of fantasy, the historical St. Nicholas was a godly man known for his charity and generosity.
He is popularly depicted as a happy white-bearded man, often with spectacles, wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots, carrying a bag full of gifts for children.
Santa Claus is commonly portrayed as laughing in a way that’s attractive. His image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas“.
Why is Santa called St. Nicholas?
St Nicholas, the main inspiration behind the character of Santa Claus, was born 280 years after the birth of Jesus. He was a Greek, presumably with olive-toned skin.
He was a monk who legend believed to have been born around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra, in what we now call Turkey; his generosity and charity were widely shared legends. There are numerous stories about him giving away his inherited wealth and travelling the countryside to help the poor and sick.
St. Nicholas good deeds became important to different cultures as a result – with Holland especially celebrating his legend on the anniversary of his death each year (December 6).
Legends had it that Nicholas’ parents were devout believers who had long prayed for a child.
When Nicholas was finally born, they devoted him to God. As an only child, he was raised with great affection and special attention. However, his parents died when a plague struck their city and the loss of his parents also seems to have made the boy’s heart tender to the suffering of others.
He was left with a large inheritance and decided that he would use it to honour God. He developed such a good reputation in his region that he was chosen as Archbishop of Myra (a harbour city just south and east of Patara)
Initially, St. Nicholas was typically depicted as a tall, thin, bearded cleric. However, history evolved him into Santa Claus known today in America.
But the “chubby and plump” appearance of America’s Santa Claus is generally traced to the 19th-century poem “’ Twas The Night Before Christmas” – an attempt to create a more friendly image of Santa Claus and assure children that they had “nothing to dread.”
St. Nicholas made his first coming into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century. The American Santa Claus is generally considered to have been the invention of Washington Irving and other early nineteenth-century New Yorkers, who wished to appease the sens of the American children and help calm down riotous Christmas celebrations and refocus them on the family.
Santa Claus and Coca-Cola
Many believed Coca-Cola is the creator of Santa; many also believed the reason Santa Wears red was because of Coca-cola, but the answer is no!
We must know that Coca-Cola did not create the legend of Santa Claus. But their advertisements did play a big role in shaping the jolly character we know today.
In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned an illustrator identified as Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for Christmas advertisements. Those paintings established Santa as a warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes and laughter lines.
5 Santa Claus Movies You Should Watch This Chrismas
As the long holiday draws nearer, here are five movies that depict the life of the amazing Father Chrismas. They are magical Santa movies that celebrate the most heartwarming stories about the man in the big red suit.
- The Santa Clause
- Polar Express
RECOMMENDED ARTICLEs