How was Santa Claus born?

Saint Nicolas, saint patron et protecteur des petits enfants de la Lorraine (France) est fêté tous les 6 décembre, surtout dans l’est de la France et dans le nord ainsi que dans de nombreux pays d’Europe. La légende du Père Christmas a été créée à partir du personnage de Saint Nicolas. C’est en quelque sorte l’ancêtre du Santa Claus.

The story goes that the character of Saint Nicholas was inspired by Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas of Bari. He was Bishop of Myra in the 4th century; his life and deeds are surrounded by legend. Born in Asia Minor between 250 and 270 AD, he died on December 6, between 345 and 352, in the port city of Myra. He is one of the most popular saints in Greece and the Latin Church.

After his death, this character fueled a multitude of legends that pay tribute to his generous personality. Each episode of his life gave rise to a patronage or brotherhood of a trade or a region.

From Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus

The legend of Saint Nicholas came to the United States with the Dutch and was later Americanized as "Santa Claus." In 1823, an American pastor, Clement Moore, wrote a tale titled "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," making this character very popular in the United States.

Over the years, the image of this friendly bearded man has undergone changes: he has become more cheerful; he likes to deliver gifts to children on Christmas Eve and travels the skies in a sleigh pulled by eight small reindeer. In the mid-19th century, cartoonist Thomas Nast gave him essentially the appearance we know today.

Commercial Santa Claus

This image was used in a 1931 Coca-Cola advertisement. The famous brand had the brilliant idea of asking renowned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to depict Santa Claus drinking soda to regain his strength while distributing toys. The artist dressed him in the brand's red and white colors, replaced his long Saint Nicholas robe with a tunic and pants, and gave him a friendly look with his bouncing belly and cheerful face.

It was especially after 1945 that Santa Claus began to become so popular in France with families, and especially children. As we know, over time, the dear man became international.