Many “Christmas traditions” have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. What about the most distinctive Christmas symbol of all: the “jolly old elf”?
Some Christians have ominously pointed out that “Santa” has the same letters as “Satan.” Others say that Santa, along with the associated gift-giving frenzy, is a significant distraction from the real meaning of Christmas.
Yet the name “Santa Claus” is derived from the Dutch for “Saint Nicholas.” So what is the source of our idea of Santa?
Saint Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the 4th century in Asia Minor, now modern-day Turkey. Not much is known about him, but some reports say that he attended the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. He died on December 6, 346 AD (some sources say 343).
According to the custom of the early church, the date of his death, December 6, was established as Saint Nicholas Day. There are many stories and legends about Nicholas protecting and caring for the poor, including giving gifts to poor children and tossing coins into the windows of poor families. A famous story tells of how he tossed three small bags of gold into the window of the home of a poor family so that the three daughters would have the necessary dowry in order to be married.
But Santa is a long way from Saint Nicholas. Here are some of the other influences along the way:
Saint Nicholas in Europe
The connection with Saint Nicholas is much more obvious in the Christmas traditions of Europe than in the United States. Saint Nicholas was known, among other things, as the benefactor of children. In the Netherlands and Belgium, Saint Nicholas was called “Sinterklaas.” He was portrayed as a bearded man wearing bishop’s robes and a bishop’s hat.
The figure of Odin, a major god of the Germanic people before Christianization, may have influenced portrayals of Saint Nicholas in Europe. For example, Odin had an eight-legged horse that could leap great distances or even fly. Children would place their boots filled with carrots, straw, and sugar near the chimney for Odin’s horse. Odin would reward these children by replacing these things with gifts or candy.
This practice may have been the origin of the custom of hanging stockings by the fireplace for Santa to fill. Even today, children in parts of Europe who leave out boots or stockings for Saint Nicholas Day are given sweets and small gifts.
The British Father Christmas was described from the 17th century onwards as a bearded man wearing a long green fur-lined robe. Scrooge’s second visitor in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is described as having a similar appearance. But now, the red robe has become predominant due to the influence of the American Santa.
Santa in the United States
The biggest changes to Santa Claus came when he evolved as a part of American culture. European immigrants to the United States brought Saint Nicholas as part of their Christmas customs. In particular, the Dutch “Sinterklaas” was Americanized into “Santa Claus,” when it was used by the American press in 1773. Other influences made Santa into a peculiarly American tradition.
The famous poem The Night Before Christmas (1823) added considerably to the physical description of Santa, making him heavy-set and smoking a pipe. But rather than a full-sized human, he was portrayed as an “elf” with a “miniature” sleigh and “tiny” reindeer.
Commercial artist Thomas Nash further changed Santa’s appearance in his drawings from 1862-1886. He made Santa into a full-sized human rather than an “elf.” A famous Saturday Evening Post cover in 1925 came up with a drawing of Santa that is closer to the modern image, including the red suit.
Beginning in 1931, Coca-Cola used Santa in their ads to great effect. This helped to solidify the image of a rotund Santa in a red suit in the American consciousness.
Conclusion
What shall we say about Santa Claus? Although there is some Christian influence in the historical origin of Santa, the concept has changed so much that it seems impossible to try to make Santa into a Christian symbol. Some have suggested that we celebrate the memory of Saint Nicholas on December 6 and forget about Santa.
While we might not celebrate saints’ days, we can at least learn something important from Saint Nicholas. This Christmas, we could certainly do worse things than give gifts to the poor, especially impoverished children. While the world waits for Santa to leave presents under the tree, perhaps we should be out finding windows into which we could pour out our resources.
For further reading:
- Wikipedia article on Santa Claus
- Wikipedia article on Saint Nicholas
- Who is Saint Nicholas? (good source for Saint Nicholas legend)
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Ken Carlson’s blog. It has been updated and republished here with permission.