You Are The Santa You Hope To See in the World

You’re The Santa You Hope To See In The World

In the 3rd century A.D., a young boy, Nicholas, lost his parents, inherited some money, and began distributing alms to the poor. Nicholas later became the Bishop of Myra, wore a red cloak, and dedicated himself to helping poor people. A young orphan boy sometimes accompanied him.

Legends say he secretly paid for the dowries of poor girls—who otherwise couldn’t marry and would be sold into slavery—by tossing bags of gold into their homes. The gold would often land in their shoes or socks, which hung at the fireplace to dry after washing. He also left coins and treats in children’s shoes in exchange for carrots and hay for his horses.

St. Nicholas & Kriss Kringle

After his death, on December 6, the lanky, red-cloaked Nicholas was canonized. People celebrated the life of St. Nicholas with feasts and maintained his tradition of filling children’s shoes and stockings with treats every year on the date of his death until the Reformation, when honoring saints was forbidden. Martin Luther replaced St. Nicholas with the Christ child, (ChristKindl), which morphed into Kriss Kringle.

St. Nicholas & Sinterklaas

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, St. Nicholas was kept alive in the form of Sinterklaas, who traveled from door to door in a red cloak leaving treats in the children’s shoes. The Dutch brought Sinterklaas to America where his name was anglicized to Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas & Santa Claus

Santa Claus grew fat in America (figures) when Washington Irving wrote his character into a portly, pipe-smoker. Clement Moore, author of “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” (“Twas the Night Before Christmas”) gave Santa a magic sleigh, reindeer, a sack of toys, and a rounder belly. But the final commercialization came via Coca-Cola when illustrator Haddon Sundblom dressed Santa in a red suit with white trim and leather boots.

You already know you’re Santa Claus, but you also keep the spiritual tradition of St. Nicholas alive when you give to others—especially the poor and children. (Fortunately, unmarried women are no longer sold into slavery so not as desperate for alms as they were in the 3rd century.) Enjoy the holiday spirit of giving and consider telling your children the real story of Santa Claus so they can emulate the generosity of St. Nicholas, too. Happy holidays all you Santas!

Saint Nicholas (St. Nicholas)

(15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey). Also associated with Santa Claus.

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