Santa Claus is a fictional character based on several stories, including those of Kris Kringle and St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a Greek man who dedicated his life to helping the poor, and his story merged with those of Kris Kringle and Old Man Winter to create the modern Santa Claus. Santa Claus is controversial in some regions and among some Christians, but is generally considered a symbol of goodwill, hope, magic, and joy. He is depicted differently around the world, but is commonly shown as a fat, jolly man with a white beard and a red suit who delivers toys to good children once a year.
Santa Claus is a fictional character from the Christmas and winter seasons. It is the combination of the main subject of several stories, including the tales of Kris Kringle, Santa Claus and the real life of St. Nicholas of Greece. Santa Claus is depicted in various ways around the world, based on how these stories have come together over time, but in the West he is shown as a fat, jolly man with a white beard and a red suit. He lives at the North Pole, rides a reindeer sleigh, once a year enters the homes of good children through the chimney and delivers toys. People generally consider it a symbol of goodwill, hope, magic and joy, but it is controversial in some regions.
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas, or St. Nick, was the greatest influence on the Western version of Santa Claus known today. He was a man of Greek origin, born in the 3rd century. His family was very wealthy, but both his parents died of the plague when he was quite young. Having survived the epidemic, Nicholas took his strict Christian upbringing very seriously and dedicated his life to God.
Nicholas got rid of all his material possessions and set about helping the poor, the infirm and anyone else who was suffering. A popular story describes how he secretly left bags of gold for three poor women who had no dowries. In St. Nicholas’ time, a father could only secure his daughters’ marriage by providing a dowry to his would-be husband. If a father could not afford it, he risked having his daughters sold into slavery. To prevent the sale of the poor women’s daughters, Saint Nicholas threw the sacks of gold through a window, and they landed in the stockings left to dry by the fire.
Tales of the saint were very popular in the Middle Ages and many communities built churches out of devotion to him and celebrated St. Nicholas Day, which in modern times is celebrated on December 6, the date of his death. The Vikings held him in high esteem and considered him the patron saint of ships. In the 8th century AD, the Vikings spread his good name on their travels. Dutch settlers, who called it “Sint Klaas”, introduced St. Nicholas to North America.
Kris Kringle
Kris Kringle comes from the German Christkindl, which translates into “Christ Child” in English. Supported by Martin Luther as a push against commercialized St. Nicholas Day traditions, this figure is a boy, a representation of a young Jesus. Traditionally, he entered homes and left gifts, which Luther used as a symbol of the gifts of Christianity and the Gospel. Legend has it that the Christkindl only appears when the house’s residents are asleep, and is therefore never seen in person.
Santa Claus
Also known as Old Man Winter, Santa Claus was a traditional figure during the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. His story states that he travels from house to house and that people offer him food and drink. In return he bestows the blessings of a gentle winter.
The fusion of traditions
The stories and legends behind Kris Kringle, Old Man Winter and St. Nicholas gradually merged over time. The tradition of Santa Claus going from house to house has its origins in the Old Man Winter, while the Vikings’ use of St. Nicholas may have contributed to the idea of Santa using the “ship” of a sleigh. The idea of him delivering presents comes from Kris Kringle, with parents who keep telling kids that Santa won’t come if they don’t fall asleep. People hang stockings based on the story of poor women being helped by St. Nicholas, and children leave cookies for Santa as a modern extension of giving Old Man Winter food and drink.
Different areas of the world have slightly different interpretations of Santa Claus, based on how the stories of Kris Kringle, Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas came together. In Britain, for example, Santa Claus is still used, but the British version has taken on some of the attributes of the Western Santa Claus. The names for the different characters are interchangeable in many regions.
Modern presentation
In the West, people dress up as Santa Claus on a regular basis during the Christmas season. Some people just do it for fun and because they like what it represents, and others do it for the amusement of the kids, who go to Santa and explain what they want for presents. Individuals also dress to recall the giving spirit of the Christkindl and Old Man Winter, such as when individuals try to collect donations on behalf of the poor.
This character appears in virtually every medium, including drawings, paintings, and sculptures as well as in movies and TV shows. The plays vary drastically in style, some are true to historical lore while others are meant to be fun and cash in on current trends. One of the most common places a picture of him appears is on wrapping paper.
Controversy
Not all individuals support the idea of Santa Claus. Critics say it’s cruel to make kids think he’s coming to their house when, in reality, Santa Claus is a conglomeration of different traditions rather than an actual person. They claim that discovering the truth about Santa could be psychologically distressing and have long-term effects. Others cite finances as an issue. Some parents find it difficult to offer gifts to provide as brought by Santa Claus, but they are usually considered necessary if the parent is to perpetuate the concept that he is real.
Even Santa Claus is controversial among members of the Christian faith, even though he connects to Jesus through Martin Luther’s presentation of the German Christkindl. Christians criticize it for diverting attention from the “real” message of the holiday season, the story of the birth of Jesus and the salvation of the world. They claim that he supports obsolete pagan rituals and ideas.
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