The legend of Santa
Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is
believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara near Myra in
modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became
the subject of many legends.
It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the
countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best known of the St. Nicholas
stories is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or
prostitution by their father by providing them with a dowry so that they could
be married.
Over the course of many years, Nicholas's popularity spread and he became
known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on
the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a
lucky day to make large purchases or to get married.
By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Even
after the Protestant Reformation when the veneration of saints began to be
discouraged, St. Nicholas maintained a positive reputation, especially in
Holland.
The Santa Claus that we know today with a red suit and hat, first emerged
when the Dutch settlers came to Manhattan on Christmas day 1624. Sinterklaas the
good saint in Holland was named the patron of their new home. In Holland,
Sinterklaas wore a red robe, while riding a white horse, and cared a bag of
gifts to fill the children's stockings. A sinister assistant called black Pete
proceeded Santa Claus in the Holland tradition to seek out the naughty boys and
girls who would not receive gifts. Black Pete, to the delight of all the
American children, was left behind in Holland by Sinterklaas. By the late 1600s
and through out the 1700s Sinterklaas would be known as Sancte Clause who would
arrive on Christmas eve December 24.
In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister, wrote a long Christmas
poem for his three daughters entitled, "An Account of a Visit from St.
Nicholas". Better known as "T'was The Night Before Christmas". Moore's poem,
which he was hesitant to publish due to the frivolous nature of its subject, is
largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as a "right jolly old
elf" and a supernatural ability to ascend up a chimney with a mere nod of his
head!
Although some of Moore's imagery was probably borrowed from other sources,
his poem helped to popularize the now-familiar idea of a Santa Claus who flew
from house to house on Christmas Eve in "a miniature sleigh" led by eight flying
reindeer, whom he also named, leaving presents for deserving children.
"An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," created a new and immediately
popular American icon. In 1881, political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore's
poem to create the first likeness that matches our modern image of Santa Claus.
His cartoon, which appeared in Harper's Weekly, depicted Santa as a rotund,
cheerful man with a full, white beard, holding a sack laden with toys for lucky
children. It was Nast who gave Santa his bright red suit trimmed with white fur,
North Pole workshop, elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.
In 1897 a young girl named Virgina was confused about whether or not Santa
Claus really existed. Older children teased younger kids about their belief. She
wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun and he wrote a column entitled,
"Yes Virgina, There Is A Santa Claus". No one then or now can prove he doesn't
exist. How can you argue about the belief of magic in a person's heart.
Are you looking for a unique Christmas gift
for an animal lover. Many of our original animal photos have
been turned into great gift merchandise.
You can search our animal lover gifts
by type of item or by kind of animal.
