Santa Claus

This Christmas tradition, inspired by St. Nicholas, has Christian roots rather than pagan ones. Born around 280 in southern Turkey, he was a bishop in the early Christian church who faced persecution and imprisonment for his faith. He was well-known for his generosity to the poor and disenfranchised despite coming from a wealthy family. There are numerous legends surrounding him, the most famous of which is how he saved three daughters from being sold into slavery. It was their father's last resort because there was no dowry to entice a man to marry them. St. Nicholas is said to have thrown gold through an open window into the house, saving them from certain death. According to legend, gold was found in a sock that was drying by the fire. As a result, kids began hanging stockings next to their fireplaces in the hopes that St. Nicholas would stuff them with gifts.

December 6th was designated as St. Nicholas Day in his memory. Over time, St. Nicholas became a part of every European culture. Christkind or Kris Kringle (the Christ child) accompanied St. Nicholas to deliver gifts to good children in the Swiss and German cultures. In Sweden, Jultomten was a joyful elf who rode a goat-drawn sleigh to deliver gifts. Then there was Pere Noel in France and Father Christmas in England. He was known as Sinter Klaas in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lorraine, France, and some regions of Germany. (For the record, Klaas is a contraction of the name Nicholas.) This is the origin of the Americanized Santa Claus.