Santa Claus is the name of the figure representing the legend about a man, known as "the good old man" dressed in red clothes and long white beard. He shows up on Christmas Eve night with a bag of presents to give to children who have behaved well throughout the year.
This is the most widespread legend in Western culture that possibly arose based on the figure of St. Nicholas. Currently, in Western popular culture, Santa Claus is considered one of the main Christmas symbols.
According to legend, Santa Claus lives in the North Pole and lives with Mama Claus and several elves, who help him make the children's gifts. There is also another version of the legend, which tells that Santa Claus lives in Lapland, a city in Finland.
On the night of December 24, Santa Claus flies over the houses with his sleigh pulled by reindeer and enters the houses through the chimneys. The good old man leaves the children's gifts under the Christmas tree or inside socks.
Origin of the Santa Claus legend
According to the legend,
St. Nicholas he was a Nordic bishop who had a habit of helping poor people. The story tells that the bishop placed a bag of coins near the chimney of the house from which he would benefit.This bishop lived between the 3rd and 4th centuries d. C in the region of Asia Minor, where Turkey is now located. Due to his generosity and the miracles attributed to him, he was canonized by the Catholic Church.
Santa Claus representation
One of the first images of Santa Claus is from the end of the 19th century, it was made by the German artist Thomas Nast and published in the magazine Harper's Weekly.
Image published in Harper's Weekly in 1862.
Another publication that influenced the representation of Santa Claus as we know it today was the poem "Uma visita de São Nicolau", by the English writer Clement Moore, which said that Santa Claus flew in the sky with a sleigh that was pulled by 9 reindeer.
But the image as we know it today of Santa Claus became popular after a drawing made by Haddon Sundblom for the soda brand Coke. Over time and with the popularization of the brand, this representation became standard.
Coca-Cola Advertising.
Names of Santa Claus
The Santa Claus legend is a tradition in many parts of the world, especially in the West. See below the name of Santa Claus in other languages:
| Language | Santa's name |
|---|---|
| German | Nikolaus or Weihnachtsmann |
| Croatian | Djed Mraz |
| Danish | julemanden |
| Spanish | Santa Claus |
| Finnish | Joulupukki |
| French | Pere Noel |
| English | Santa Claus |
| Italian | Babbo Natale |
| Dutch | Kerstman |
| Portuguese Portugal) | Santa Claus |
| Russian | Ded Moroz |
Learn more about the meaning of Christmas and Christmas tree.
