We all know that Santa Claus travels around the world on Christmas Eve delivering presents to children (and 20 year olds), but when did this begin? Well, the red and jolly Santa we all recognize is a relatively new development, he started showing up in the late nineteenth century. A political cartoonist drew him in Harper’s Weekley magazine. The legend of Santa dates all the way back to the 3rd century! Santa, Saint Nick, or Kris Kringle all represent the same magical man in the United States, and actually, cultures around the world have a character like Santa. For example, in Italy an elderly woman called La Befana rides a broomstick down the chimney and leaves gifts for Italian children. Whether Santa or not, the tradition of gift-giving on Christmas
So, back to the history of it all. At the end of the third century, a monk named Nicholas travelled around the region around present-day Turkey, doing acts of charity and helping poor children in his community. His kind actions allowed him to be canonized and a feast on the anniversary of his death on December 6th became customary throughout Europe. Santa Claus is a shortened version of Sint Nikolaas, which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas.
Charity remains a big part of Santas image, especially in the form of jolly Salvation Army volunteers. This tradition began in the 1890s on the streets of New York, and ever since then, Salvation Army Santas have been ringing bells! The legend of Santa Claus and the reindeer has developed over time, but who could have known, its been well over a thousand years since Saint Nick began leaving presents at the homes of children!