A number of figures are associated with Christmas and the seasonal giving of gifts. Among these are Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus (derived from the Dutch for Saint Nicholas), Père Noël, and the Weihnachtsmann; Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas; the Christkind; Kris Kringle; Joulupukki; Babbo Natale; Saint Basil; and Father Frost.
The best known of these figures today is red-dressed Santa Claus, of
diverse origins. The name Santa Claus can be traced back to the Dutch Sinterklaas,
which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in
modern day Turkey, during the 4th century. Among other saintly
attributes, he was noted for the care of children, generosity, and the
giving of gifts. His feast on December 6 came to be celebrated in many
countries with the giving of gifts.
Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied
by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past
year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th
century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the
practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and
southern Europe. At the Reformation in 16th–17th century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl, corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve.
Above, an old postcard of Santa Claus bearing gifts for good boys and girls. |
In 1809, the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Sancte Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City.
At his first American appearance in 1810, Santa Claus was drawn in
bishops' robes. However as new artists took over, Santa Claus developed
more secular attire.
Nast drew a new image of "Santa Claus" annually, beginning in 1863. By
the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the robed, fur clad, form we
now recognize, perhaps based on the English figure of Father Christmas.
The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.
Father Christmas, a jolly, well nourished, bearded man who typified
the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, predates the Santa Claus
character. He is first recorded in early 17th century England, but was
associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness rather than the bringing of gifts. In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany.
It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but
got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some
cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus.
There has been some opposition to the narrative of the American
evolution of Saint Nicholas into the modern Santa. It has been claimed
that the Saint Nicholas Society was not founded until 1835, almost half a
century after the end of the American War of Independence.
Moreover, a study of the "children's books, periodicals and journals"
of New Amsterdam by Charles Jones revealed no references to Saint
Nicholas or Sinterklaas. However, not all scholars agree with Jones's findings, which he reiterated in a booklength study in 1978;
Howard G. Hageman, of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, maintains
that the tradition of celebrating Sinterklaas in New York was alive and
well from the early settlement of the Hudson Valley on.
Current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela and Colombia)
holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby
Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's
homes, a reconciliation between traditional religious beliefs and the iconography of Santa Claus imported from the United States.
In South Tyrol (Italy), Austria, Czech Republic, Southern Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovakia and Switzerland, the Christkind (Ježíšek in Czech, Jézuska in Hungarian and Ježiško in Slovak) brings the presents. Greek children get their presents from Saint Basil on New Year's Eve, the eve of that saint's liturgical feast.
The German St. Nikolaus is not identical with the Weihnachtsmann (who
is the German version of Santa Claus/Father Christmas). St. Nikolaus
wears a bishop's dress and still brings small gifts (usually candies, nuts and fruits) on December 6 and is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht.
Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children
about Santa Claus and other gift bringers, some have come to reject this
practice, considering it deceptive. Wikipedia
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