Santa Claus is known worldwide, with many young children believing in him. Everyone can picture Father Christmas, or Santa. But who created this ideology of Santa if he isn’t even real? And who started the traditions?
Whilst there is no man in the sky riding a sleigh pulled by reindeer, Santa Claus isn’t a completely made-up person.
Dutch families from the Netherlands are credited with transporting the legend of Saint Nicholas to New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the American Colonies. Later on in the 1800s, the Dutch started to refer to him as ‘Sinterklaas’. The “Klass” part of the Dutch name is short for ‘Niklaas’ or ‘Nicholas’.
Traditionally, on the 6th December, Feast Day is celebrated along with the giving of gifts and sweets to children. This tradition began as early as the 18th Century, between 1765 and 1775.
Santa Claus is associated with Saint Nicholas. With millions facing sudden hardships, parents wanted their children to learn the importance of giving to others and showing gratitude. Parents encouraged their children to leave snacks behind for a “worn-out” Santa Claus and his eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph! This would be a good way of expressing their appreciation on the gifts that he would bring.
The idea of leaving out milk and cookies for Santa was introduced in America in the 1870s. In Australia, an ice cold beer can be expected to help with the heat of summer. In the UK, we often leave out mince pies, sherry for Santa, and even a carrot for the reindeer.
In 300 AD, in the ancient Lycian city of Patara, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, a Greek rice and wheat merchant had a son named Nicholas. Saint Nicholas grew up to be a bishop of Myra in the 4th Century. He was reputed to be a great person who did many wonderful things for his community. This included bringing children back to life, destroying pagan temples and saving sailors from death at sea. Through the centuries, Saint Nicholas has been sacred to Catholics and Orthodox Christians and honoured by many Protestants. Saint Nicholas (also known as St. Nick) was revered for his untold generosity, selflessness and kindness.
The names of Santa’s reindeer were invented by Clement Clarke Moore. They were first mentioned in his poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, which we know today as “A Visit from St Nicolas”. It was first published in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 23rd, 1823. The reason reindeers are associated with Santa is because they can cope with the harsh temperatures of the winter landscape. Unlike most other animals, such as cheetahs, reindeers can be seen as a friendlier animal. This would not only encourage children to believe in Santa and his reindeer, but also help them be more like Santa, by being generous and jolly!
by Maryam Sirajudin.
