THE SANTA CLAUSE MYTH

Can you believe that St. Nicholas originated in Turkey? There was a Bishop who was known for his charitable ways, especially the secret times he would travel through the city at night and leave goodies in people’s stockings. He died in the month of December and so it was proclaimed as his day, and the giving tradition soon got combined with the joyful season of Christmas. Now, what does Nicholas have to do with Santa Claus? – you may ask. When the Dutch moved to the United States as settlers, they brought with them the story of the man who they referred to as “Sinterklaas” that got anglicized into Santa Claus. Interesting, isn’t it?!