Fun Santa Facts

• Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Have you ever wondered how Santa got his name? The pronunciation varies from country to country, but many of the versions throughout Europe and America are a version of “Saint Nicholas” or “Father Christmas.” The name Saint Nicholas refers to an actual man who reportedly died around 350 A.D. and who is the official patron saint of giving. Due to his popularity, Saint Nicholas has also been the patron saint of Russia, Greece, children, sailors, pawnbrokers and shopkeepers. In life he was known as a friend of children and those in need, and as his fame spread from country to country, so did the various pronunciations of his name. Church after church was named for Saint Nicholas in the Middle Ages because of his reputed kindness towards the powerless.

Originally, the cult (as it was known then) of Saint Nicholas celebrated on December 6th and even today in some countries children put their shoes out to be filled with gifts on this day. With the commercialization of Christmas being on the 25th, this tradition is becoming less popular over the years as Saint Nicholas is synonymized with our current version of Santa Claus.

Why Santa comes anonymously in the night might also be attributable to Saint Nicholas, who was known to give to the poor anonymously. However, there are places where children actually watch Santa deliver presents, though, such as in Finland.

Last of all, although our current Santa is a composite of descriptions over the year, our current image of him was largely influenced by the poem so many still recite at Christmastime, The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore. From that poem Thomas Nast created the first major illustration that came to be our current Santa.

That’s all the Santa fun facts for today, but check back for more as Christmas approaches.

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