There is one popular holiday figure whose history remains a mystery to many: the beloved Santa Claus. Nearly everyone has heard of him: the jolly old man who brings Christmas spirit and joy to all the children in the world with his gift deliveries. But where does his story start?
The legend of Santa centers around the Christian saint, Saint Nicholas, who lived in 4th-century Turkey. The Dutch brought the legend to New Amsterdam, current-day New York, in addition to the tradition of handing out treats to children on December 6th, the anniversary of the saint’s death. Santa’s iconic red outfit is also derived from Saint Nicholas, as he was commonly pictured wearing red robes.
The modern image we see when we think of Santa Claus comes from cartoonist Thomas Nast’s drawings for the magazine Harper’s Weekly back in the late 1800s. Many of the details in the images were derived from the depictions of Santa from the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The jolly, red-suited, white-bearded version of Santa Claus was further publicized in 1931 when images by Haddon Sundblum were featured in Coca-Cola advertisements.
However, the version of Santa here in the U.S. is certainly not the only one—many other countries have their own take on the holiday figure. In England, Father Christmas fills the role of Santa Claus, traditionally represented wearing a holly wreath and colorful robes. Similarly, Père Noël in France wears long cloaks with fur-lined hoods, but instead of riding on a magical sleigh pulled by reindeer, he has a flying donkey named Gui.
Three men known as Los Reyes Magos are responsible for bringing joy to children in Spain. These three wise men, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar, are closely related to the Three Kings who, in Christianity, are said to have visited Jesus after he was born, bringing gifts along with them. Sinterklaas from the Netherlands is the closest to the original St. Nicholas, riding into town on a white horse and delivering gifts to little kids who have been good all year.
Tomte or Jultomten in Swedish folklore resembles a dwarf more than a man, but an adult in the family will dress up in a Tomte mask and hand out gifts to all the children on Christmas. In Germany, there are many different names for Santa, depending on the region, but the most common names are Weihnachtsmann, Klaus, Nickel, and Niglo. Unlike the version we’re used to, this Santa does not have cute elves by his side, but rather many variations of much scarier creatures whose jobs are more aligned with punishing naughty kids than rewarding nice ones.
Santa Haraboji, Grandfather Santa, is the Korean Santa Claus who closely resembles the American version, but wears a Korean traditional gat and a blue suit, not a red one. In Japan, the Seven Gods of Fortune are said to visit children with gifts. Hotei, one of the Seven Lucky Gods and the guardian of children, is the main deity who is responsible for the main distribution of presents and is supposed to be in his happiest state when he is around kids.
No matter the country, Santa Claus remains one of the most popular characters during the holidays. What started as a tradition regarding St. Nick slowly evolved into a legendary celebration of joy and hope. Whether it's Père Noël or Baltasar, Santa’s presence in Christmas history makes the season even more special.