The original Santa Claus was Saint Nicholas, born in Asia Minor,
Turkey today, 1,600 years ago.
Little Nicolas was kind and generous.
He became the bishop of Myra, and several beautiful legends are known about this.
One of these legends tells
as he took pity on the three beautiful daughters of a nobleman
who were too poor to provide the dowry necessary for their marriage.
Three times, good Saint Nicholas threw bags of gold through their window
who allowed them to find good husbands and be happy.
Through the centuries, the legend of the generous bishop was perpetuated.
to the white-bearded one who was flying over the houses on a white horse
and threw presents down the chimney.
The first Dutch immigrants who arrived in the United States
they called Saint Nicholas “Sinterklaas,” which later became Santa Claus.
Swiss children believed that a Christmas angel
called "Kriss Kringle" arrived on a sleigh pulled by six reindeer.
Santa's elves come from Norwegian folklore.
Later, in the 19th century, in 1822, a seminary professor,
Dr. Clement C. Moore wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas” for his children.
He gathered all the legends mentioned above there,
blending them into a single wonderful story
which became a classic of literature under the title “The Night Before Christmas”.
In 1863, the caricaturist Thomas Nast was commissioned to illustrate this story.
From his pen emerged the Santa Claus we know today,
with his red coat, his toque, and his shiny boots.