The Origins of Santa Claus

Legend has it that one St. Nicholas, a fourth-century archbishop of a small Turkish city called Myra, was the real-life person today’s “Santa Claus” is based on. He had devoted his holy life to good works and loved to give gifts, to the extent that his reputation spread throughout Europe among Christian worshipers of every denomination. Known by various names, depending on what country he was celebrated in, he was known as Pére Noël in France, Father Christmas in England, and Kris Kringle in Germany. The legend of St. Nicholas spread to the Americas in 1700 with Dutch colonists who simplified his name to Sinterklas, with the pronunciation eventually evolving to Santa Claus as it is today.

Santa Claus has taken on many guises over the centuries from a tall, thin elderly man often dressed in clerical robes to a fatherly man dressed in any colour from black to red, brown, green, and blue. In 1822, American poet Dr. Clement Clarke Moore wrote a humourous poem depicting Santa as having “a little round belly... like a bowl full of jelly” and a popular picture of Santa as a rotund person emerged. In the 1860's, another American, artist Thomas Nast, popularized many of the practices associated with the modern-day Santa, namely, Santa as a toymaker with his own workshop, Santa keeping lists of good and bad boys and girls, Santa receiving letters of requests, and Santa driving a sleigh with reindeer.

Today, Santa is as well-loved as ever by new generations of boys and girls the world over, eager to receive the one commodity he has to offer – toys! From a humble legend of a good man obscured by the mists of time to a modern-day hero, Santa Claus has stood the test of time as one of the fundamental elements of a Merry Christmas!

In the Greater Moncton Area, Santa arrived at the Annual Christmas Parade which occurs each year at the end of November. At present, Santa can be seen at our region’s largest indoor shopping centre – Champlain Place! Santa also greets visitors to MacArthur’s Nurseries located at 232 McLaughlin Drive where their wonderful Christmas Open House is a celebration of Christmas for old and young alike! A must for the whole family, visit this destination for ideas on decor, unique ornaments, live and artificial Christmas trees, hand decorated centrepieces, wreaths and arrangements perfect for your home or as gifts for family and friends. Not only does Santa welcome one and all with a basket of sumptuous gingerbread cookies, but hot chocolate, coffee, doughnuts, and cookies give much needed refreshment to shoppers searching for the perfect accent to their holiday season. Drop by and visit Santa at these popular locations, and when you do, you’ll know a little of the history behind this rotund gentleman!