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The Origin Of Santa Claus
Like it or not, the center of Christmas festivities is the jolly, plump, bearded, red-suited, black-booted and sleigh-riding Santa Claus. We accept Santa Claus for what he looks like today without thinking about his origins, be it of pagan and Christian nature. Well, now is the time to rectify that oversight with this article on the origin of Santa Claus.
Christian and Pagan Origins It is generally accepted that Santas history is a merry mix of Christian traditions with Scandinavian, Dutch, English and German pagan beliefs as well as modern commercialism. Indeed, Santa Claus enjoyed some ride through history from his bishop staff to his sack of gifts. Amongst historians, Saint Nicholas of Myra is the main inspiration for Santa Claus primarily because of his alleged acts of generosity to the poor through anonymous gifts. His cult grew in popularity during the medieval ages such that even the cult of the Virgin Mary was eclipsed in some regions. And so was the seed of Santa Claus sown. However, a narrative of the origin of Santa Claus will not be complete without mentioning its pagan roots. The German god Odin has many parallels with the modern Santa Claus from his bearded face, his use of a flying animal for transport and to his provision of small gifts in exchange for food left near the fireplace. In fact, the modern Christian tradition of the Christmas ham, Yule logs and Christmas tree are strongly influenced by Germanic pagan beliefs. 
In addition, Dutch folklore has had significant influence on Santas history in relation to the British and American ideals. These strong influences include leaving gifts in wooden shoes (now replaced by stockings hung on the fireplace mantel), riding through the sky in a flying 8-legged horse (now swapped for 8 reindeers plus Rudolph) and Zwarte Piet helpers (now Santa's elves). Even the modern-day name of Santa Claus is natural Anglicization of the Dutch name Sinter Klaas. And it will be the Dutch and the German immigrants who will start the origin of Santa Claus in the United States. The credit for weaving the modern traditions of Santa Claus as we know him today, however, goes to two people - Clement Clark Moore for his poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas published on 23 December 1823 and Thomas Nast for his 1863 drawing of a bearded and plump Santa. And of course, Santas history will be incomplete without mention of his use by commercial companies like Coca-Cola as well as private institutions like the Salvation Army as symbol of happiness and joy as well as charity and compassion.
Indeed, the origin of Santa Claus could not have been more surprising than when you first discovered that it was indeed Daddy kissing Mommy underneath the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. Truly, Santa Claus is an amalgamation of Christian traditions and pagan beliefs, as well as commercial interests with religious rites. Modern Perceptions Nowadays, the cult of Santa Claus means many things to many people depending on their ages, religious beliefs, political inclinations and social stature. As such, you often will find divergent opinions about the jolly man who lives on the North Pole. 
On one side, you have the believers mostly composed of children who firmly believe in the existence of Santa Claus. You will find them lining up in malls to tell Santa their desired gifts, hanging up stockings on the mantel, placing cookies and milk near the fireplace, and generally just enjoying the holiday cheer. Their loving parents, uncles and aunties, grandparents and older siblings carry on the tradition, even when they now know better, because Santa brings big happiness to little hearts. Who would have thought that the saintly Catholic origin of Santa Claus can become such a universal Christian cult?
On the other side, you have the skeptics who criticize the tradition of Santa Claus as the symbol of commercialism in an otherwise holy season. Then again, who wants to listen to rants about a symbol of joy to countless people? Different Names, Same Spirit Santa Claus is a popular figure around the world. His clothes and his name may vary from one culture to the next but the spirit of Christmas generosity remains virtually the same. After all, when it comes down to it, we are all made of the same human spirit! 
In many parts of the world, Santa Claus is generally called by that name although slight variations will occur. Thus, in places like Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Russia, Serbia and Turkey, he is variously called Grandfather Winter, Grandfather Frost and Grandfather Christmas. Other European and Latin American countries call Santa the equivalent of Father Christmas (i.e., Père Noël and Noel Baba). You will also hear the equivalent of Baby Jesus, the Three Magi Kings, and just plain old Saint Nicholas.
Associated Symbolisms Any narrative of the origin of Santa Claus will be incomplete without mentioning the symbolisms behind his famous accessories from his bell to his sledge. First, the bell serves the obvious purpose of telling time which, in this case, is the winter solstice. Second, the climb down the chimney is a holdover from the Saint Nicholas tradition of tossing down his gift of coins down the chimney when he discovers that the windows are locked. Plus, chimneys were primitive symbols of otherworldly generosity where elves and fairies slid down to provide gifts for the household members. Third, the sleigh with the reindeers represented God's preparation for His chosen souls and His prediction of the future glory of His chosen nation. Well, of course, you can also say that there is no symbolism except for the obvious purpose of lightning-quick transportation. There are other symbolisms - stockings for the three virgins saved from prostitution, cookies as the Bread of Life, ham as the symbol of a slain Satan, and candy cane for the Shepherd's crook, to name a few - that have their roots in the origin of Santa Claus. Indeed, Santa Claus is here to stay so it is always best to just enjoy the season of giving! |
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