Who is Santa Claus?

Many people believe that Santa Claus is an American creation. The truth is that America only reworked the imported tradition. The legend of Santa Claus was brought by Dutch settlers to New York in the early 18th century. Its origins were actually in Europe.

The original Santa Claus – or “Sinter Klaas” – which the Dutch brought to America was depicted as a tall, dignified, religious figure riding a white horse through the air. Santa’s transformation began in 1823, when a New York newspaper published the story of the kindly saint who flew over rooftops in a reindeer-driven sleigh, delivering toys to all children.

As the idea began to pick up, portraits and drawings of Santa Claus were also published. A newspaper illustrator at the time is credited for having created the image of Santa that the world has since come to know. By the late 19th century, Santa Claus was such a prominent figure in American folklore that he became real in the mind of the public.

In some parts of Europe, Santa Claus was somewhat different from the American version. He was a highly religious figure that went around, accompanied by an elf, punishing disobedient children. But the American Santa prevailed – a generous gift-giver who was neither religious nor disciplinarian.

Gift-giving is an old tradition that reminds of God’s gift of a savior to mankind. It also recalls an ancient Roman custom of exchanging gifts to bring good fortune for the new year. In most cultures that celebrate Christmas, there is always a mythical figure that delivers gifts to children. Many of these legendary gift-givers bear some resemblance to pre-Christian gods that distributed gifts or granted favors.

As cultures adapted to Christianity, the gift givers often required that the recipients, mainly children, behave well in order to deserve a present. Yet since the 19th century America, Santa Claus and other mythical gift-givers have become increasingly gentle, generous and forgiving. On Christmas Eve, children hang stockings, and in the morning they awake to find the stockings filled with gifts.

In countries where Santa Claus is not known, children await to receive gifts from a mythical figure of local folklore. The Russian “Dyed Moroz” (Grandfather Frost), wearing a white beard and dressed in red costume with black boots, arrives on New Year’s Day to give children toys and sweets. In other regions of the world, the Three Wise Men themselves are believed to distribute gifts to children on the eve of the Epiphany on January 6.

In Mexico, children pray to Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec god and legendary ruler of Mexico, for gifts. In addition, some children also write letters to the Christ child, listing gifts they hope to receive. On the night before Epiphany, they place their shoes at the foot of their beds for the Three Wise Men to fill with presents.

In Italy, the equivalent of Santa Claus is “La Befana.” Italian children wait for the good witch who rides her broom to their homes on Epiphany to distribute gifts. The name “La Befana” is said to have originated from the word “Epifania” (Epiphany). She was too busy accompanying the Three Wise Men on their journey to see the infant Jesus in Bethlehem that she was not able to celebrate Christmas. To recompense for this failure, she visits the homes of all good children, leaving treats for them.

The British version of Santa Claus is Father Christmas. In some parts of Germany, children receive gifts from “Knecht Ruprecht,” a mythical figure dressed in animal skins. Santa Claus is known by different names in different places – as “Jultomten” in Sweden; “Nisse” in Denmark; “Julenisse” in Norway; “Pere Noël” in France; “Papai Noël” in Brazil; “Santa Kuroso ojisan” in Japan, and Dun “Che Lao Ren” in China. But children the world over simply know him as the plump merry gentleman who brings them presents at Christmas every year.