2006-12-02 08:28:58 · 8 answers · asked by ? 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
"The popular American form Santa Claus originated as a mispronunciation of Dutch Sinterklaas which is a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas (Saint Nicholas)"
2006-12-02 08:32:19 · answer #1 · answered by Pico 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
His name was Saint Nick. I don't know where Santa Clause came from.
2006-12-02 08:31:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its due to a Clause in the santa union contract
2006-12-02 08:37:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The modern Santa Claus is a composite character made up from the merging of two quite separate figures:
The first of these is Saint Nicholas of Myra, a bishop of Byzantine Anatolia (now in modern-day Turkey) famous for his generous gifts to the poor. The origin of Santa Claus is in St. Nicholas. He was born in Asia Minor at Patara in the province of Lycia. In Lycia, St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra during the 4th century. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity.
The second character is Father Christmas, which remains the British name for Santa Claus. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected in the "Spirit of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Some elements of this part of the tradition of Father Christmas could be traced back to the Germanic god Wodan (Odin). The appearance is similar to some portrayals of this god, who brought gifts in the winter season of Yule, and rides a flying horse through the sky.
When the Dutch still owned the land that later became New York, they brought the Saint Nicholas' eve legend with them to the Americas, but without the red mantle and other symbols. The name "Santa Claus" is derived from the character's Dutch name, Sinterklaas. In Dutch, the feast is called Sinterklaas Feest, celebrating the birthday of Sinterklaas during Sinterklaasavond ("Sinterklaas's Evening") on December 5 (or, in Belgium, on December 6).
In Washington Irving's History of New York, Sinterklaas was Americanized to "Santa Claus" but lost his bishop's apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. Irving's book was a lampoon of the Dutch culture of New York, and much of this portrait is his joking invention. Santa Claus appeared in various colored costumes as he gradually became amalgamated with the figure of Father Christmas, but red soon became popular after he appeared wearing such on an 1885 Christmas card. His horse was converted to reindeer and a sleigh, the black peters (which were in fact Moorish slaves) were converted to elves, and, in an attempt to move the origin of the festivities away from their pagan background to a more Christian one, the date was moved back a few weeks to the celebrated day of the birth of Jesus: Christmas.
In the United States, the tradition is to leave Santa a glass of milk and cookies; in Britain, he is given sherry and mince pies instead. British children also leave out a carrot for Santa's reindeer, and were traditionally told that if they are not good all year round, that they will receive a lump of coal in their stockings, although this practice is now considered archaic. Children following the Dutch custom for sinterklaas will "put out their shoe" — that is, leave hay and a carrot for his horse in a shoe before going to bed—sometimes weeks before the sinterklaas avond. The next morning they will find the hay and carrot replaced by a gift; often, this is a marchpane figurine. Naughty children were once told that they would be left a roe (a bundle of sticks) instead of sweets, but this practice has been discontinued.
2006-12-02 08:39:18 · answer #4 · answered by ModernMerlin 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just another figment of somebodys imagination. More fun than
God though. The latins celebrate three kings day (another myth)
and believe that they bring the gifts. You have to put a shoe box
of grass under your bed for the camels. I just cant understand
why Muslim radicals look at us like we are nuts. They even refuse to believe in the easter bunny.
2006-12-02 08:47:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
really he is know as Saint Nick first because he gave gifts to the poor, also the children. i guess it evolved from Nick giving gifts out to people
2006-12-02 09:34:39 · answer #6 · answered by jensy_101 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah... but he is also called Saint Nicholas!!!
2006-12-02 08:31:21 · answer #7 · answered by Lime Jelly ♫ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same thing, different language.
2006-12-02 08:32:13 · answer #8 · answered by Joanne B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋