The name Santa Claus is the English form of the Dutch name for St Nicholas or Sinterklaas.
Though the modern Santa Claus is associated with a world of fantasy, the historical St Nicholas was a godly man, known for his charity and generosity.
Nicholas was born in the third century to wealthy Christian parents in Patara, a harbour city in modern day Turkey.
It is probable that Nicholas and his parents could trace their spiritual heritage to the Apostle Paul, who stopped in Patara on his third missionary journey 200 years earlier.
It is said that Nicholas’ parents were devout believers who had long prayed for a child.
When Nicholas was finally born, they devoted him to God.
As an only child, he was raised with great affection and special attention.
However, when Nicholas was still a young boy, likely a teenager, a plague struck his city, and both of his parents died.
Though a loss like this might turn some away from God, it seems to have drawn Nicholas closer to him.
The loss of his parents also seems to have made the boy’s heart tender to the suffering of others.
Nicholas was left with a large inheritance and decided that he would use it to honour God.
He developed such a good reputation in his region that he was chosen as Archbishop of Myra, a harbour city just south and east of Patara, when he was in his early 20s, an indication that he must have demonstrated wisdom and maturity beyond his years.
During his service as Archbishop, a violent persecution of Christians began.
Nicholas was almost certainly imprisoned during this time and was likely tortured for his faith.
The persecution that began during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian was carried on by his successor, Galerius, for a total of eight long years.
There are a wealth of stories about Nicholas’ life, many of them emphasise his kindness and generosity.
After his death on December 6, a tradition of gift-giving was begun in his honour, St Nicholas Day.
Some countries decided to combine this with the birth of Christ.
It seemed natural to many Christians that a holiday, celebrating giving, would merge with the birth of Christ, the greatest gift ever given to the world.
However, the merger happened to the dismay of many Christian leaders who thought that St Nicholas began to draw too much attention away from Christ.
In Germany, parents were encouraged to teach their children that the Christ Child was the gift-giver.
The name Kriss Kringle is the English form of the German name for “Christ Child”.
Ironically, in America the name Kriss Kringle came to be used sinonymously with St Nicholas, St Nick, Santa Claus and even the English name, Father Christmas.
