Asked by: Salma Gensert
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What is the legend of Santa Claus?

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The Legend of St.
The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St.


Likewise, people ask, who invented Santa Claus and why?

Nicholas. Nicholas rose to prominence among the saints because he was the patron of so many groups. By about 1200, explained University of Manitoba historian Gerry Bowler, author of Santa Claus: A Biography, he became known as a patron of children and magical gift bringer because of two great stories from his life.

Also, who brought Santa to America? Saint Nicholas or "Sancte Claus," in a woodcut by Alexander Anderson done for the New York Historical Society. It's been said that Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Saint Nicholas to the North American city of New Amsterdam (which the British would later rename "New York").

Subsequently, question is, why do we have Santa Claus?

Santa Claus, legendary figure who is the traditional patron of Christmas in the United States and other countries, bringing gifts to children. His popular image is based on traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian saint. Father Christmas fills the role in many European countries.

How old is Santa?

Santa's age updated and accurate for 2020. Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, was born in an unknown month of 270 AD so he would now be 1,750 years old. The date is most likely shrouded in mystery to protect the Baby Claus from possible temporal incursions by nefarious time travelers.

Related Question Answers

Kanesha Saur

Professional

Will Santa ever die?

The bad news: Santa Claus is definitely dead. Archaeologists in southern Turkey say they have discovered the tomb of the original Santa Claus, also known as St. Nicholas, beneath his namesake church near the Mediterranean Sea. Saint Nicholas of Myra (now Demre) was known for his anonymous gift-giving and generosity.

Yingying Wallisch

Professional

Does Santa have kids?

Does Santa have any children? Yes. But they are all grown up now and have children of their own. That means Santa is also a grandfather.

Raylene Nicolaescu

Professional

Where is the real Santa?

The real Santa Claus—the historical figure upon which the legend is based—never lived anywhere near the North Pole. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a fourth-century bishop who lived and died far from the Arctic Circle, in what is now Turkey.

Najwa Calouro

Explainer

Is Christmas Pagan?

Pagan, or non-Christian, traditions show up in this beloved winter holiday, a consequence of early church leaders melding Jesus' nativity celebration with pre-existing midwinter festivals. Since then, Christmas traditions have warped over time, arriving at their current state a little more than a century ago.

Manssour Shananykin

Explainer

Who made up Santa?

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey.

Carley Scibilia

Explainer

What year did Santa Claus die?

Death and Legacy
Several sources state Saint Nicholas is believed to have died on December 6, 343. Over the years, stories of his miracles and work for the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children and sailors and was associated with gift-giving.

Zhelyazko Follmert

Pundit

What does Santa look like?

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man—sometimes with spectacles—wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots and carrying a bag full of gifts for children.

Ambreen Greibke

Pundit

What are the origins of Christmas?

Did Christmas start in Germany? The celebration of Christmas started in Rome about 336 (but it did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century). Many Christmas traditions, such as decorating trees, started in Germany and later spread to other parts of the world, notably England and the United States.

Candelaria Burcio

Pundit

Why does Santa wear red?

Why does Santa wear red? The legend goes that Santa's suit is red because of a hugely successful advertising campaign for Coca-Cola that featured a big Father Christmas wearing red robes with a white trim, the soft drink's colours. But the red and white actually derive from the colours of Saint Nicholas.

Erhimo Barrios

Pundit

Where is North Pole?

Arctic

Maelle Arcuri

Pundit

How many presents does Santa deliver?

In other words, Santa has to deliver presents to almost 22 million kids an hour, every hour, on the night before Christmas. That's about 365,000 kids a minute; about 6,100 a second.

Carlita Rodagh

Teacher

How much is a Santa suit?

Complete Duvetyne Santa Suit - Costume (Men's Adult Costume)
Price: $69.99 - $100.53 Free Returns on some sizes and colors Select Size to see the return policy for the item
Sale: Lower price available on select options

Lingfeng Jackob

Teacher

How many reindeer are there?

eight reindeer

Dilawar Yakimets

Teacher

When did Krampus originate?

Krampus himself historically comes around the night of December 5, tagging along with St. Nicholas.

Abderrezak Bel

Teacher

Is Santa an elf?

Nicholas, he is a bishop out of Turkey so a man. If you are talking about the character that came from the legend of the Saint he is both a man and an elf depending on which legend you believe in. "Santa employs elves, but is not one himself. Elves are small; he is big.

Woodrow Kutzki

Reviewer

Where did Santa Claus originated from Coca Cola?

The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast. In 1930, artist Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. The ad featured the world's largest soda fountain, which was located in the department store Famous Barr Co. in St.

Essam Nytsch

Reviewer

In which part of America was Christmas not celebrated?

So Christmas was banned in Boston in the 17th century along with a lot of other things. And someone celebrating was fined five shillings. Now, in Jamestown it was very different. But the Puritan influence held over once the new country was formed.

Brahim Harkovchuk

Reviewer

What color was Santa originally?

Prior to Nast's work, Santa's outfit was tan in color, and it was he that changed it to red, although he also drew Santa in a green suit. This change is often mistakenly attributed to the work of Haddon Sundblom, who drew images of Santa in advertising for the Coca-Cola Company since 1931.

Shenghua Tepper

Reviewer

When did Santa Claus become popular in the United States?

But for most Americans his most popular name would become Santa Claus. In the 19th century, many Dutch immigrants living in the United States celebrated the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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25th February, 2020

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