Santa Claus comes to us under various names. For some it is known as Saint Nicholas, and for others Santa Claus or simply Santa Claus. While people trade Santa and Father Christmas from a historical perspective, they are two different people.

It was Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century in present-day Turkey, who gave birth to the present-day Santa Claus. As a bishop, he developed a reputation for secret gifts.

In the Western tradition, the gift-giving day is December 25, while in the Eastern tradition the gift-giving day is New Year’s Day.

Most of us see Santa as a kind of friendly, pot-bellied character who goes from house to house, through the sky, on a reindeer sleigh. It is possible that the tradition of riding through the sky comes from a Germanic tradition in which the god Wodam is seen riding a flying horse through the sky. The horse has eight legs, the same amount of reindeer that Santa uses!

While Santa is portrayed as a jolly man who gives deserving children gifts, he is also used to keeping children in check. Traditionally Irish children, and a large number of their European and American counterparts, hang up a stocking for their gifts, but are told that if they are not good all year long, they will receive a lump of coal instead of a decent gift.

In most traditions, food or drink is left with you to aid you on your journey. In Ireland it is traditionally a bottle of Guinness, in America biscuits and a glass of milk, in England it receives mince pies and sherry. It is no wonder then that he is perceived as a happy paunchy character!

So how did Saint Nicholas transform from bishop into a jolly old man with red cheeks? The transformation did not happen all at once, but over a period of time and dates back before the American Revolution to the time when the Dutch controlled what is now New York. When the Dutch arrived in America they took the legend of Saint Nicholas with them, at this stage he was still dressed as a bishop.

In Washington Irving’s New York Story, Sinterklaas was Americanized to “Santa Claus” but lost his bishop clothes, and was at first portrayed as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe and a green winter coat. Irving’s book was a satire on Dutch New York culture, and much of this portrait is a joking fabrication.

Santa’s dresses changed over the years until the modern suit was born in 1885. Around this time his horse turned into reindeer and sleigh, his slaves into elves, and the date was brought forward to coincide with Christmas.

For those interested, Santa’s eight reindeer were named after Clement Clarke Moore’s popular poem “The Night Before Christmas.”