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Source: Britannica Elementary Library. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a legendary figure who is said to bring gifts to children during the Christmas season. In the United States he is also known as Kriss Kringle. The character is known by several other names as well, including Father Christmas in Britain and Père Noël in France.
According to the stories about him, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his wife, Mrs. Claus. Throughout the year Santa and his elves make toys for Christmas. They also watch over children to see if they have been good or bad. On Christmas Eve Santa travels all over the world on a sleigh pulled by reindeer and delivers toys to each child’s house.
Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a real person who lived in the AD 300s. People loved him because of his many acts of kindness. Because of the many stories about his kindness Saint Nicholas became associated with gift giving. In some European countries children received gifts on his feast day, which was in December. Other countries had similar traditions of children receiving presents around Christmas. Europeans brought these traditions with them when they settled the American colonies. The Dutch in particular are said to have brought the story of Saint Nicholas. The name Santa Claus came from the Dutch word for Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas.
The image of Santa that people know today developed in the 1800s. In 1822 Clement C. Moore wrote a poem called A Visit from Saint Nicholas. This poem is better known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. It describes a chubby, jolly, rosy-cheeked old man with a white beard. He flies through the air in his sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. He climbs down chimneys and leaves gifts for children. In 1863 a U.S. cartoonist named Thomas Nast began drawing pictures of Santa Claus based on Moore’s poem. Nast gave Santa his red suit with white fur trim.
In 1939 Santa gained a ninth reindeer, Rudolph, in a book that the Montgomery Ward department store gave to children. Rudolph begins the story as an outcast because of his shiny nose. But he ends up a hero when he leads Santa’s sleigh on a foggy Christmas Eve.
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