Saint Nicholas is justifiably considered the origin of modern American Santa Claus.
Nicholas was neither chubby nor jolly, but his altruism immortalized his image in our minds as the real Christmas gift-giver.
But what was so special about his deals?
If you ask a child where Santa Claus lives, they’ll likely answer “the North Pole.” But the truth is, Santa has made a long journey from the region of today’s Turkey to Europe and finally, to America.
Before Nicholas became a Santa, he was a bishop. His devotion to Christ was proven not by words but by actions. The stories of Nicholas’ good deeds have brought him worldwide fame and the title of a Saint.
Nicholas’ adventure wasn’t always peaceful. Although he has helped numerous people and was declared a Saint, his image was banned for several centuries.
But the memory of old Saint Nicholas was preserved and later revived by artists of the 19th century.
After the story of Saint Nicholas came to America, it quickly gained popularity, thanks to the efforts of Dutch colonials and newspapers.
His image constantly evolved, and today’s kids are unlikely to recognize the old bishop Nicholas in a man smiling from Coca-Cola bottles – but the legends remain.
Origins of Saint Nicholas
According to historical evidence, Saint Nicholas was born in 280 A.D. near Myra, which is laying in the place of modern Turkey. His parents were wealthy and died when Nicholas was still young, leaving him with a hefty inheritance.
Money didn’t spoil Nicholas, and he grew up a kind and generous man. After the death of his parents, Nicholas distributed their wealth to those in need. He then went to travel Asia and visited the Holy Land.
Legends tell a storm severely damaged Nicholas’ ship, but he calmed down the waves. Regardless of whether the miracle really happened, he’s considered the patron of sailors to our day.
Nicholas could have become a rich merchant but, upon returning from travel, chose to become a local bishop.
Some historians insist Nicholas became a bishop due to his uncle’s influence, who has also devoted his life to serving Christ.
From Bishop to Santa Claus
Nicholas has performed numerous good deeds until he was declared a Saint, and he started long before he even became a bishop.
One of the most famous stories narrates about Nicholas helping a man who couldn’t afford to marry his daughters.
The poor man had three daughters but couldn’t get a dowry for any of them.
Nicholas found out about it and secretly dropped a stocking full of gold down the man’s chimney. That’s allegedly how the tradition of hanging gift stockings started.
The man was now able to marry his oldest daughter, and Nicholas has repeated the stocking trick two more times.
After the man found out who did this, Nicholas begged him not to tell anyone as he believed good actions don’t need praise.
But the word has spread quickly, and soon, every time someone got a surprise gift, they thought it was from Nicholas.
Another legend narrates about Nicholas saving three men from prosecution. Governor Eustathius of Myra has been condemned to death for false accusations in banditry.
Nicholas has pushed the executioner’s sword away from the men and convinced the jury of their innocence.
A lesser-known story talks about Nicholas punishing a butcher who killed three boys during a famine.
He entered the butcher’s house, sensed his crime, and resurrected the boys. Today, Saint Nicholas is widely accepted as a patron of children.
Saint Nicholas isn’t the only origin of the modern Santa Claus. Pagans had their own deities who gave out gifts around the time of winter solstice.
However, Saint Nicholas is the first Christian figure who served as a basis for our perception of the Christmas spirit.
Up to the beginning of the 16th century, Saint Nicholas was believed to bring gifts to kids every Christmas. Children believed he had magical powers and practiced good behavior all year round to please Saint Nicholas.
Protestant Influence
Protestant Reformation began in the early 16th century. At that time, Saints such as Nicholas weren’t favored in Northern and Central Europe. In fact, they were strictly prohibited in some regions.
Back in the Middle Ages, Christmas was far from our cozy, domesticated perception of it as a family holiday.
It was commonly associated with drunken people roaming the streets and public disorders caused by lower-class workers who were finally given some time off.
It’s no wonder the Protestants regarded such a Christmas as a redundant festival. Plus, it was yet another reason to reduce the workers’ leisure time.
While Saint Nicholas himself certainly didn’t support such a frivolous celebration of Christmas, he was still prohibited for being its main symbol.
Christkind widely replaced Saint Nicholas, but an infant image had difficulty convincing children to behave well. That’s why a scary helper often accompanied Christkind.
Some regions used other representations of the Christmas spirit, such as Father Christmas or Pere Noel.
Despite criticism from the Protestant side, Saint Nicholas’s image managed to survive in Europe and later come to America.
In the early 19th century, poets and artists discovered old stories about Saint Nicholas, and his popularity was revived.
The Night Before Christmas
The first piece of literature that attempted to bring back good old Saint Nicholas from protestant exile was “Old Santeclaus with Much Delight.” Written in 1821.
It was published in a children’s book, “The Children’s Friend: A New Year’s Present, to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve,” and described Nicholas riding in a sleigh pulled by a reindeer.
Two years later, in 1823, Dr. Clement Clarke Moore wrote his famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” often called “T’was the Night Before Christmas.” Here’s how the poem goes:
“He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf.”
In this poem, Saint Nicholas yet again appears with reindeers, this time eight rather than one. The reindeers were all given names. He features a familiar look of a plump and happy man with a white beard.
Dr. Clement Clarke Moore has written the poem for his children. Historians insist he was initially hesitant to publish it as the subject was considered frivolous at that period.
Thankfully, he was brave enough, as this very poem helped to revive the image of Santa in the minds of children around the globe.
In the 1880s, Moore’s poem inspired cartoonist Thomas Nast to draw one of the most notable depictions of Santa Claus in history.
The drawing was published in Harper’s Weekly and portrayed Santa as a cheerful man in a blue coat covered in stars, with a sack full of toys.
Death of Saint Nicholas
The death of Saint Nicholas is a common topic for historical debate. We don’t know how or when he died for sure, but the most common theory names December 6 of either 345 or 352.
Saint Nicholas was buried in Myra, and in 1087, his bones were stolen by merchant sailors from Italy. Thankfully, the remains were found and are now stored in Saint Nicholas church in Italy, Bari.
Saint Nicholas in America
Not all countries have given up Saint Nicholas as the gift-fiver during the Protestant Reformation.
How were parents supposed to explain to their children that gifts are now brought by someone else? The Netherlands was one of such countries, naming Saint Nicholas Sinterklaas.
When sailors from the Netherlands began colonizing the continent at the end of the 18th century, Saint Nicholas had made it to America.
The New York newspaper has mentioned Dutch families gathering to honor Saint Nicholas’ death in 1773 and again in 1774.
Sinterklaas was quickly renamed to Santa Claus by the Americans. His image was popularized mainly by Washington Irving in the early 19th century.
Santa was described as a man with a white beard in a blue hat, red coat, and yellow stockings, distributing gifts to children through chimneys.
In 1810, the New York Historical Society held the first Saint Nicholas death anniversary dinner.
Alexander Anderson, a commissioned artist, has created the first American depiction of Saint Nicholas. He was shown putting treats in stockings hanging on a fireplace.
Today, we’re all used to shopping mall Santas. But not many know that they first appeared back in the 19th century.
Stores in the USA realized Christmas is a great way to profit and started advertising gift shopping back in the 1820s.
Twenty years later, newspapers were devoting whole sections to holiday advertisements. In 1841, the first shopping mall Santa was displayed in Philadelphia.