Who Is Santa Claus?

Although many may see Christmas as being commercially driven, in the background we find a humble and Saintly Bishop and a clear Christian message – to be generous towards our neighbours and of course God.

Every year as just before Christmas, children from all over the world are eagerly awaiting their Christmas presents.  In most of the English-speaking or Christian world, these will be brought on Christmas Eve by a grandfatherly figure in a red suit who loves a glass of milk and cookies.  Yet the name “Santa Claus” comes from the Dutch language “Sinter Klass,” which in turn means “St. Nicholas.”

Saint Nicholas, whose feast day is December 6, lived from 280-343.  He was a priest and later the Bishop of Myra, in modern Turkey.  Unfortunately for the historians, he has been such a popular saint that many legends have sprung up, and it is difficult to separate myth from reality.

Legends say that Nicholas was a very holy child, some going so far as to say that he refused his mother's milk on Fridays to keep the Church discipline of abstinence.  Apparently he came from a rich family and was known for his generosity.  He gave gifts to the poor and needy of Myra, trying to do so in secret by night, out of humility.

The most famous story about Nicholas comes from his time as a Bishop.  One of the earliest legends states that St Nicholas heard of a man who could not afford the dowries for his three daughters, with the result that he regretfully intended to send them to work in a brothel.  St Nicholas saves them from this fate by throwing three bags of gold down their chimney, which landed in the socks that were hanging by the fire to dry.  It is this famous story which is often identified as the root of St Nicholas's reputation as a gift-giver.

While much of this may seem legendary for some, it is however a fact that in 303 AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian demanded that all the citizens of the empire treat him as a god.  This order applied to the territories of Asia Minor as well.  Many Christians were imprisoned or killed for their refusal to worship the emperor.  When St Nicholas refused to submit and worship him, the Bishop was arrested and held in a small cell for more than 5 years.

Constantine came to power in 313 AD and St Nicholas was released.  Christianity was no longer oppressed, and St Nicholas returned to serve Myra as Bishop.  He remained Bishop until his death, on December 6, 343 AD.

His fame for holiness spread rapidly, with the first churches in his name being built around 450.  By 800 St Nicholas was recognized as a saint in the Eastern Church, and by 1200, St. Nicholas’ name day was celebrated in Paris.  By the 1400s, St. Nicholas was the most popular religious figure, apart from Jesus and Mary, with more than 2,000 churches being built in his honour.

The origin of Santa dates back to when Dutch settlers settled in New Amsterdam in the 1500s.  They brought with them their tradition of St. Nicholas (“Sinter Klass”), which spread more generally and the name being converted in the process to Santa Claus.

Over time the image of St. Nicholas did slowly change from the older traditionally looking saint to the current look, whose red cap and suit are recognised all over the world, which was originally illustrated for a series of Coca-Cola ads.

The main thing to remember is that behind the figure we all see at Christmas known as Santa Claus, we find a humble and saintly Bishop with a clear Christian message to be give generously to our neighbours and to God.

News Headlines