Santa Claus Enjoyement
Young children anticipate few things more than the arrival of Santa Claus, with his sack full of toys. All Christmas season, they try to remain on their best behavior, as they write Christmas gift lists and letters to Santa. They bake cookies and leave out a glass of milk for the jolly fellow and even a carrot for the reindeer to share. But where did this folktale come from and how do we celebrate St. Nick this holiday season?
The American version of Santa Claus is most closely associated with the Dutch Sinter Klaas and arrived in the new world around 1773. In 1809, Washington Irving (writing under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker) described Santa arriving on horseback on Christmas Eve. In 1823, Clement Clarke Moore wrote “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (also commonly referred to as “The Night Before Christmas”), which detailed the physical description of Santa, as well as information about his workshop, traveling by reindeer and the delivery of Christmas gifts. Thomas Nast published pictures of Santa in Harper’s Magazine from the 1860s to 1880s, which further cemented the imagery in children’s minds.
Some say Santa Claus comes from Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop in Turkey. Nicholas often bestowed generous gifts to the poor and is sometimes called “the patron saint of children.” According to ancient text, Nicholas used to leave coins in shoes, which is celebrated in many European traditions. Another story tells how Nicholas once helped a man who could not afford a dowry for his three daughters by visiting the house in the night, throwing three bags of gold coins down the chimney and into a stocking, which was drying by the fire.
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