Christmas: Saint Nicholas

Who was Saint Nicholas?

Saint Nicholas was born and lived in what today is called Türkiye. He became a Christian bishop who was known for his generosity to the poor. There are many legends about his generosity and miracles he performed. 

Keep in mind that as a bishop, St. Nicholas would have been respected as a religious leader. He was more than a giver of physical gifts. Intellect, an ability to teach, and management skills would have been needed to be a successful bishop in the early Christian church.

Early art portraying St. Nicholas shows him with a bony face with a large forehead and pointy chin. His expression varies between stern, sad, and vacant. Of course, this is normal for this period in European art, but it also is a far cry from the fat, grinning image of Santa Claus.

How did St. Nicholas become Santa Claus?

Throughout the centuries the custom of leaving gifts in shoes or stockings, inspired by legends of St. Nicholas, spread to different countries. The custom changed to fit each culture. 

The history of Christmas in North America/the American colonies is long and is influenced by many cultures. 

Eventually, we make it to the 1800s. Washington Irving published an imaginative work that had a St. Nicholas character who drove a flying wagon, smoked a pipe, and put his finger next to his nose. 

During the 1800 and early 1900s, St. Nicholas morphed more and more into the fat, jolly Santa Clause we know today. An internet search for “santa claus history” gives many perspectives on this evolution. By the 1950s, Santa Claus was a fixture in US Christmas celebrations.
​