Santa Claus, known officially as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, or just Santa, is a mythological figure originating from Western Christian culture that brings presents to children, well-behaved kids, and naughty children alike on Christmas Eve. He is portrayed as fat with a red suit, white face, long beard, and red hat, often carrying a basket or wooden trunk containing gifts. For some time, western culture associated the image of Santa Claus with religious iconography. Although we now recognize him by the name "Santa," there is no basis from which the figure of Santa was initially derived. However, there are several theories on what the original meaning of Santa was.
The Legends About Santa
The Real Santa Claus We All Love
As history reveals, the actual origin of the name of Santa Claus did not come from any of these stories. Instead, the name Santa Claus was inspired by the Catholic Church's celebration of Christmas, which centres around the Nativity story. In this story, Santa Claus appears as a gift-giver during the birth of Christ. Many people believe that the Catholic Church adopted the custom of having Santa Claus appear as a gift-giver when the original Christmas ceremonies were done away. It is also rumoured that the name of Santa Claus got its name from the German town called "Santas", which some people found difficult to pronounce.
The Santa Claus Throughout the Years
Over the years, different customs and traditions have evolved around Santa Claus. Most of these traditions centre around the idea of having him visit children during the Christmas season and giving them Christmas gift ideas. The most popular of these traditions is the Clause in Every Young Child book, which shows Santa Claus travels around to every child in town and gives them gifts. Children remember the Clause in Every Young Child book every time Santa Claus comes to their house on Christmas morning.
