Who is Santa Claus? Some surprising facts about ol' Saint Nick!
It's nearly Father’s Day and we wanted to pay tribute to the main man himself - Father Christmas! Or Santa Claus as many countries refer to him. Do you know the origins of ol' Saint Nick? Maybe we can surprise you with a few facts...
Santa Claus is a lot older than you think!
Did you know that Father Christmas really is super old?! He has been around in one form or another since early Christian times. In the UK, there was a winter time character that existed long before the puritans ruined things, back around the time of the English civil war. He was known as Sir Christmas (Sir Christemas) and was known for accompanying feasts and merriment. You can ready more about that history here on The English Heritage site.
Sinter Klaas or Saint Nicholas comes from Europe
In fact, the origins of Santa Claus are thought to be found in Europe as far back as the 4th century. Known as Saint Nicholas or, in Dutch, Sinter Klaas (along with his slightly controversial sidekick Piet), was a giver to the poor, dropping dowries into household laundry or stockings drying by the fireplace.
The Victorian Santa Claus was all about the children
It was really the Victorians who solidified our modern day concept of Santa Claus or Father Christmas, as explained in this article by Historic UK. During the 1800s as the focus on children and families became more commonplace, a character evolved who was more about family traditions.
Traditions stick with A Visit From Saint Nicholas
Santa Claus by name, has a very clear sounding link to the old name of Sinter Klaas and is thought to have probably been an idea the Dutch brought to the USA in the 19th century, and it grew from there with Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St Nicholas" which later became known as "The Night Before Christmas".
The vintage classic Coca-Cola Santa is the one we know best
One of the most classic, and high profile images we traditionally have of Santa Claus today, is the Coca-Cola one. It was the depiction of the big man in a red suit with his Cola bottle that finally embedded our image of the Santa we know and love today.
So, whether he’s Kris Kringle, Santa Claus or Father Christmas, he has existed in some form of merriment and gift-giving for centuries!
How do you know him best? Did any of these Santa facts surprise you?