Christmas is the time for stories – even in the office. If you want to impress your colleagues with your knowledge, here is the story of Santa Claus.
The story of Santa Claus goes back to the 4th century and Saint Nicholas of Myra, a generous bishop from present-day Turkey who was known for his kindness and miracles.
Over the centuries, the veneration of St. Nicholas spread throughout Europe, and St. Nicholas Day on 6 December became an occasion for giving small gifts to children.
The character of Santa Claus in his modern form took shape in Northern Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany. Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to America in the 17th century, where it eventually became the English form of Santa Claus. An older, bearded man, a cross between the German Nikolaus, the Dutch Sinterklaas and the English Father Christmas, with a pot belly and a furry cap.
In the 1930s, Coca-Cola advertising gave Santa Claus his iconic appearance – a happy, older man dressed in red, designed by artist Haddon Sundblom. This depiction made him famous worldwide.
Today, Father Christmas is a figure who brings joy everywhere and has his own name in many countries: Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, Samichlaus in Switzerland, Father Christmas in England and Père Noël in France.
