THE despatch CHRISTMAS 2023
The History of Santa Claus
Northern Europe is where we first
these Christmas figures to fuse into
have evidence of human creative
one: Santa Claus, a man who loves
figures like Santa Claus. Northern
food, who has a reindeer you
Europe is dark, cold and depressing
should leave a carrot for, and
during the winter months so it
dresses in red and white. This figure
would make sense that figures such
is celebrated in the poem, The
as Saint Nick from the Netherlands,
Night Before Christmas, written in
who dresses in red and white like a
1823. Originally called A Visit From
Bishop, and rides a white horse
St Nick, it tells us about a magical
called Amerigo, for whom Dutch
man landing on the roof of a house
children leave out a carrot and
and owning a reindeer, but this
whose name in Dutch is Sinterklaas;
figure was always referred to as the
and Father Christmas from England
Dutch Saint Nick, who was very
- a jolly Pagan who dresses in green
small, like an elf from Northern
and has a holly wreath on his head,
Europe. As the 1800s progressed,
who is more concerned with food
Santa gained a wife and a
and wine then with children, both
workforce of elves, thanks to
come from places in Northern
American books and pictures. Coca
Europe.
Cola used Santa to advertise their
product, exporting Santa across the
During the age of colonization,
globe, resulting in those of us in the
these characters were exported to
UK referring to the bearded present
America by settlers. This resulted in
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