@LarryJames-w9x

9 months ago

No. Saint Nicholas of Myra was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor, modern-day Demre, Turkey, during the time of the Roman Empire.
His reputation grew from his legendary habit of secret gift-giving to the poor. The story goes that he would find out what certain families would need and then do his best to raise funds in secret , then purchase what they needed and deliver it to them. This would’ve made the man admired and famous.
His name, Saint Nick, was altered by the Dutch to Sinterklaas (an older man with a long white beard who rides a large white horse). And later, Santa Claus.
Another later version of Nicholas is Father Christmas. He is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas and is also based on Nicholas. Although now known as a Christmas gift bearer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrelated English folkloric,tradition which had pagan, nature worshipping overtones.
Kris Kringle is an Americanized spelling of the German Christkindl, another gift-giving Christmas figure. He was combined with the European Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus. Thus, Americans referring to him as either Santa Claus or Khris Kringle.
The contemporary picture of Santa Claus is largely the byproduct of commercialization and advertisement. It is tied to the history of a very successful Coca-Cola ad Campaign of the 1940s. That figure, and his legend, remain the gift giving man, known primarily as Santa Claus, from the North Pole in our American culture.

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