On the night of December 24 to 25, tradition has it that Santa Claus visits the children of the world to leave them gifts. But few know that this fictional character present in all Christmas iconography is inspired by a real figure: Saint Nicholas of Bari, a bishop known for his generosity and the miracles that the Church says he has performed to help those who need it most.
Saint Nicholas was born in the region of Lycia, in what is now Türkiye, around the year 270, and from an early age he stood out as a very generous person. He was born into a wealthy family, but at the age of 19 he was orphaned by a plague epidemic. After losing his parents, he went to live in Mira, a small Roman town at the time, to devote himself to the priesthood.
It was upon his arrival there that his reputation as a defender of the most vulnerable people began to develop. The most famous legend says that Nicholas helped three poor sisters by anonymously giving them gold coins. THE secret gift delivery by this man is represented in numerous frescoes of Christian art throughout Europe.
From Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus
Nicholas was named a bishop and became the patron saint of Turkey, Greece and Russia, as well as one of the most revered Christian saints of the Middle Ages. After a life devoted to charity, he died on December 6 around the year 345. His fame spread throughout Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, where the Tradition of Saint Nicholasa character who distributed gifts on December 6.
The children left their shoes or socks so that Sinterklaas leaves them treats and gifts, a tradition that has been going on for centuries and passed down from generation to generation. In fact, some historians believe they were The Dutch settlers who brought this character to America in the 17th century, when they founded New Amsterdam, today’s New York.
In the United States, the figure began to change little by little. His name became Santa Claus and, over time, new characteristic elements were incorporated into the character, such as his red and white clothes, his beard, the flying sleigh and the reindeer. This transformation was consolidated with the publication of A visit from Saint Nicholasa poem from 1823.
This text, written by Clement C. Moore, describes the night of Christmas Eve and completes the setting up of the modern image of Santa Claus as we know him today: a man who travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and who leaves presents for children on the night of December 24 to 25. The change in date occurred with the arrival of the Protestant Reformation, when the giving of gifts moved from December 6 (the death of Saint Nicholas) to the 25th, coinciding with the birth of Jesus.
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