Ho, ho, ho: Who's Santa Claus!

Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nick—no matter the name, everyone knows the story of this plump, jolly, bringer of gifts. Or do they? Any kid can tell you where Santa Claus is from—the North Pole. But his historical journey is even longer and more fantastic than his annual, one-night circumnavigation of the globe.

Santa Claus, originally Saint Nicholas, is a legendary character originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve of toys and candy or coal or nothing, depending on whether they are "naughty or nice". In the legend, he accomplishes this with the aid of Christmas elves, who make the toys in his workshop, often said to be at the North Pole and flying reindeer who pull his sleigh through the air. The modern character of Santa is based on folklore traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, the English figure of " Father Christmas ", and the Dutch figure of "Sinterklaas".

Saint Nicholas, was a 4th-century Christian bishop born circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. After losing his parents as a young man, Saint donated all his inherited wealth and often travelled along the countryside, helping the poor and sick.

There are many legends about Saint Nicholas of Myra. One story tells how he helped three poor sisters. Their father did not have enough money to pay their dowries and thought of selling them into servitude. Three times, Saint Nicholas secretly went to their house at night and put a bag of money inside. The man used the money so that one of his daughters could marry. On the third visit, the man saw Saint Nicholas and thanked him for his kindness. Nicholas begged the man not to tell anyone what he had done because he did not want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got out and when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that maybe it was from Nicholas.

Over many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and 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.?

Nicholas became popular again in the 1800s era when writers, poets, and artists rediscovered the old stories. 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,” more popularly known as “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas .”

Moore’s poem is largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as a “right jolly old elf” with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a chimney with a mere nod of his head! It became an enduring part of Christmas tradition, and, because of its wide popularity, both Nicholas, the patron saint of Christmas, and the legendary figure Santa Claus were permanently linked with the holiday.

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 is Nast who gave Santa his bright red suit trimmed with white fur, North Pole workshop, elves, and his wife, Mrs Claus. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the colour of his coat from tan to the red he’s known for today.

Within the rankings of holiday icons, Santa Claus is instantly noted as a jolly figure with his full white beard and chubby, cuddly demeanour. Yet, in other parts of the globe, the concept of Christmas folklore is, well, a bit different. Christmas characters—whether that’s a he, she, it or they—can be a far cry from what we’ve come to expect at shopping malls and department stores. Many countries celebrate Christmas with different traditions, and their Santa looks different too.