The Origins of Santa Claus

EMILY MARTINEZ, KAYLANY RAMOS — Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered where the whole origin of Santa Claus came from? Here in this article we, the staff writers, show you how it all started!

It all starts with St. Nicholas, who was a patron saint of children. Many admired his kindness and he became a legend. It’s said that he gave away his wealth as well as traveling to help the sick and poor.

He became well known over the years, making his death an anniversary feast on December 6th. It was traditionally known to be lucky for making large purchases or getting married.

In December 1773 St. Nicholas has made his first appearance entering the American culture towards the ending of the 18th century. A year later groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death.

St. Nicholas’ nickname, Nick, in Dutch is Sinter Klaas, which then evolved to Santa Claus. In 1809, an author named Washington Irving released a book called The History of New York. He wrote about St. Nicholas as the patron saint of New York by giving the appearance, Sinter Klass, of blue hat, yellow stockings, and red waistcoat.

Now all over the U.S. stores introduce Santa Clause into the shopping malls for children and fans of all ages to line up to meet Santa. This allows stores around the country to allow children the opportunity to take pictures on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. These advertisements began during the 1820s all the way through 1840s, allowing parents to share and give during the holidays.

Thank you for reading this article; we hope you learned something new!