To debate “the existence” of a man who most-lovingly endures within the annual holiday traditions of countries around the world seems rather odd. Yet year-after-year, children from across international borders do just that – they choose to either believe or not believe in Santa Claus. While “the reality” of an actual Man-Elf who travels around the globe, in just one night, to deliver presents to deserving children may not be “real”, the Man-Saint who has inspired families and communities to continue on his spirit of generosity and kindness most certainly was. Who was Saint Nicholas and how does he continue to live on in the hearts and minds of people, young and old, in nearly every country, community and home?

‍From Christian Saint to American Story and Soda –

Only in North America can a Christian Saint be transformed into an iconic Christmas Eve story and then become totally exploited by a major soda company. Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop of what is now present-day Turkey, who is believed to have died on December 6, 343 AD. The holiday spirit of generosity and kindness is said to have been inspired by the charitable and compassionate services that Saint Nicholas provided for the sick and poor. It was even believed that he performed miracles on their behalf. Following his death, Bishop Nicholas was Sainted by the Catholic church. He became known as the protector of children and forever associated with gift-giving. In many portraits, Saint Nicholas was depicted with a long white beard, dressed in red and white robes.

It wasn’t until the early to mid nineteenth century that the Christian Saint Nicolas would become more commonly known as St. Nick. In 1821, the American author, Clement Clark, may have been inspired by the Christian legend to publish the iconic Christmas Eve story, The Night Before Christmas as well as A Visit from St. Nicholas in 1823. St. Nick was described in Clark’s now infamous stories as being accompanied by elves on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Nearly forty years later, the American illustrator, Thomas Nast, who was likely influenced by both the Christian Saint as well as Clark’s St. Nick, was the first to visually depict Santa Claus in his 1863 contribution to Harper’s Illustrated Weekly as a jolly, plump and bearded older gentleman, wearing a fur-trimmed red suit, with his arms full of children’s toys.

The American transformation of Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus was well underway by the start of the 20^th century but would soon take its most iconic turn. The American soda company, Coca Cola, was looking to increase sales over the Winter months and embarked on a marketing campaign targeted at children. In 1931, their designer, Haddon Sundblom, created a commercial illustration of Santa Claus pausing from a busy Christmas Eve to drink a refreshing bottle of Coke. It was likely no accident that Sunblom chose to illustrate Santa wearing the same colours of the infamous Coca Cola bottle – red and white – which was also conveniently consistent with how both Saint Nicholas and St. Nick had been historically depicted.

‍Different Santa Claus Depictions from Around the World:

Thanks to the combined religious, literary, and commercial influences, the Santa Claus of North America is mostly depicted as kind and generous towards children. Besides the loose threats of coal for being naughty and the more recent tradition of the Elf on the Shelf, who tattles to Santa on bad kids, American and Canadian children can expect something for them under the tree on Christmas morning from Santa Claus – even if they’ve not been perfectly nice. In other countries around the world, however, Santa is often depicted somewhat differently and alongside a punishing sidekick.

One Giving and one Whipping Father from France -

Père Noël or Father Christmas comes to fill the shoes of good children with small gifts, money and treats on Christmas Eve in France. Père Fouettard or the Whipping Father, however, is said to accompany Père Noël in order to punish bad kids with his whip – ouch!

A Kid-Jesus and a Goat-Demon from Germany, Austria and Switzerland - 

Christkindl, which means Christ-child in German and has been altered as Kris Kringle in English, comes from the Lutheran-Protestant tradition that a child-Jesus, rather than Saint Nicholas, would bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Krampus, a terrifying Goat-Demon, is said to have originated from Pagan-German tradition and is believed to be the horned, fork-tongued god of the witches who comes to terrorize bad kids on Christmas Eve – yikes!

Saint Nicholas and the Devil from the Netherlands and Belgium - 

Sinterklaas is actually Dutch for Saint Nicholas but has been altered as Santa Claus in English. Sinterklaas is much closer in depiction to Saint Nicholas, however, in that he traditionally dresses more like the bishop and comes to fill the stockings of good Dutch children on the Eve of December 5^th. Zwarte Piet or Black Peter, which was another name for the devil during the middle-ages, is said to accompany Sinterklaas in order to punish bad children by either beating them or taking them away in a sack – scary!

Happy Holidays no matter what version of Santa you choose to celebrate!