The Santa Claus we all know and love today wasn't always a robust, red-suited, milk and cookie-ingesting figure who delivers billions of toys to children around the world. In fact, Santa, as with most things that have near ancient origins, began as an entity not even remotely close to what's commercially presented today. Though the reputable sources I've consulted (History and National Geographic) slightly vary on his origins, I've written a much easier guide to how Santa Claus has come to be the beloved man-sized elf who manages to find a way to break into our homes despite every door being locked.
Who Is Saint Nicholas?
![The Origins of Santa Claus]()
Santa isn't Saint Nicholas, really. But the small-town monk is without a doubt Santa's greatest source of inspiration. Born 280 years after Christ in a small town in Turkey, St. Nicholas, according to scripture, wasn't fat or jolly; he was just the opposite, known for having a passionate temper and a slim physique. St. Nicholas would become a revered saint later in life due to his gracious generosity, as he was known to give away his own inherited wealth and otherwise tend to the poor.
One of the more popular tales of Nicholas' charity is that of when he saved three poor sisters from being sold into prostitution by providing them -- or "gifting" them -- with a dowry so they could get married. Tales such as these aided in Nicholas' popularity to where he eventually became renowned as an incredibly generous gift giver and protector of children, among other things. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when most saint's were metaphorically brutalized, St. Nicholas was far less tarnished, and immigrants would later bring his reputation to North America.
Santa Claus Does America
![The Origins of Santa Claus]()
In December 1773 and 1774 a newspaper in New York reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of St. Nicholas' death by drinking mass amounts of alcohol on the streets with their drunk neighbors. This would later catch on since everybody likes to celebrate with booze, obviously.
To this point the holiday still bore no magical giver of gifts, but that would soon change. A series of poets and writers who wanted to make this celebration more "family-friendly" re-made what they wanted their version of St. Nicholas to be (yes, even Santa is a re-make). Through these many forms of infamous literature - Washington Irving's 'Knickerbocker's History of New York" (1809), anonymous' "The Children's Friend" (1821), and last but not least Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (better known as "Twas The Night Before Christmas") (1822) -- everything about St. Nick would change. Saint Nicholas, a man known for his generosity, would evolve to become the world's most generous human-sized elf, gifting good children with presents on December 25 in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
As for the name "Santa Claus," that evolved from St. Nicholas' Dutch nickname, "Sinter Klaas," which was a shortened version of "Sint Nikolaas" (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). His iconic look as the red-clad and bearded gentleman, however, traces back to 1881, when political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore's poem to create his modern appearance in Harper's Weekly. It is Nast who also gave Santa his lofty position at the North Pole, the elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.
Mall Santas and The Salvation Army
![The Origins of Santa Claus]()
Mall Santas began as a marketing ploy to draw in customers, as most commercially appealing things do. Gift-giving became a popular Christmas tradition in the early 19th century, and as such, stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820. Roughly 20 years later, newspapers were creating entire sections for holiday advertisements and sales, most of which featured images of Santa Claus, because Santa's image would help sell product.
In 1841, these marketers would then monetize Santa's image even further and manufacture a life-size statue which thousands of children and their parents would visit. With successes such as these, having men dressed as Santa became an even more profitable sensation, attracting hordes children and parents to shopping malls and boutiques spending their hard-earned money.
As for the bell ringers at the Salvation Army, this actually began in the early 1890s, as the organization needed cash to pay for the free Christmas meals they provided to impoverished families. In order to bring a unique, they began dressing unemployed persons in Santa's vibrant attire and sent them into the streets of New York to acquire donations. As we all know, these bell-ringers have been around soliciting donations and making us reach in our emptied pockets so we believe we're better people for it are still out there, and have become just as much of a Christmas tradition as getting completely trashed at your family's Christmas dinner.
Related: 'Santa Claus' Stole a Helicopter in Brazil Last Week
Who Is Saint Nicholas?
Santa isn't Saint Nicholas, really. But the small-town monk is without a doubt Santa's greatest source of inspiration. Born 280 years after Christ in a small town in Turkey, St. Nicholas, according to scripture, wasn't fat or jolly; he was just the opposite, known for having a passionate temper and a slim physique. St. Nicholas would become a revered saint later in life due to his gracious generosity, as he was known to give away his own inherited wealth and otherwise tend to the poor.
One of the more popular tales of Nicholas' charity is that of when he saved three poor sisters from being sold into prostitution by providing them -- or "gifting" them -- with a dowry so they could get married. Tales such as these aided in Nicholas' popularity to where he eventually became renowned as an incredibly generous gift giver and protector of children, among other things. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when most saint's were metaphorically brutalized, St. Nicholas was far less tarnished, and immigrants would later bring his reputation to North America.
Santa Claus Does America
In December 1773 and 1774 a newspaper in New York reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of St. Nicholas' death by drinking mass amounts of alcohol on the streets with their drunk neighbors. This would later catch on since everybody likes to celebrate with booze, obviously.
To this point the holiday still bore no magical giver of gifts, but that would soon change. A series of poets and writers who wanted to make this celebration more "family-friendly" re-made what they wanted their version of St. Nicholas to be (yes, even Santa is a re-make). Through these many forms of infamous literature - Washington Irving's 'Knickerbocker's History of New York" (1809), anonymous' "The Children's Friend" (1821), and last but not least Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (better known as "Twas The Night Before Christmas") (1822) -- everything about St. Nick would change. Saint Nicholas, a man known for his generosity, would evolve to become the world's most generous human-sized elf, gifting good children with presents on December 25 in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
As for the name "Santa Claus," that evolved from St. Nicholas' Dutch nickname, "Sinter Klaas," which was a shortened version of "Sint Nikolaas" (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). His iconic look as the red-clad and bearded gentleman, however, traces back to 1881, when political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore's poem to create his modern appearance in Harper's Weekly. It is Nast who also gave Santa his lofty position at the North Pole, the elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.
Mall Santas and The Salvation Army
Mall Santas began as a marketing ploy to draw in customers, as most commercially appealing things do. Gift-giving became a popular Christmas tradition in the early 19th century, and as such, stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820. Roughly 20 years later, newspapers were creating entire sections for holiday advertisements and sales, most of which featured images of Santa Claus, because Santa's image would help sell product.
In 1841, these marketers would then monetize Santa's image even further and manufacture a life-size statue which thousands of children and their parents would visit. With successes such as these, having men dressed as Santa became an even more profitable sensation, attracting hordes children and parents to shopping malls and boutiques spending their hard-earned money.
As for the bell ringers at the Salvation Army, this actually began in the early 1890s, as the organization needed cash to pay for the free Christmas meals they provided to impoverished families. In order to bring a unique, they began dressing unemployed persons in Santa's vibrant attire and sent them into the streets of New York to acquire donations. As we all know, these bell-ringers have been around soliciting donations and making us reach in our emptied pockets so we believe we're better people for it are still out there, and have become just as much of a Christmas tradition as getting completely trashed at your family's Christmas dinner.
Related: 'Santa Claus' Stole a Helicopter in Brazil Last Week