Saint Nicholas Day

I agree with you all that it's sad that the day went so off from the original.
Nowadays no ones tells their children that they have to behave good or they won't get presents. Parents won't leave their kids without presents because they fear the kid's reaction, potential temper tantrums etc.

Does anyone know how did the custom of Santa Claus coming on Christmas start? I don't see the connection of the birthday of Jesus Christ with a bearded fat man giving out presents to children. (and I'm lazy to google the info myself :silly: )

I agree with cemwerewolf... not too many people in Canada know about St. Nicholas Day. I've heard of it, but I don't know anyone else who has.

black_magnolia, I have no idea how St. Nicholas on December 6 morphed into Santa Claus on December 25. Maybe another case of Christians borrowing from other traditions? That would be my best guess, anyway...

Morgana wrote:

black_magnolia, I have no idea how St. Nicholas on December 6 morphed into Santa Claus on December 25. Maybe another case of Christians borrowing from other traditions? That would be my best guess, anyway...

St. Nicholas is a Christian saint so I don't see why they would morph him into Santa Claus and then combine him with a day that is among Christians one of the most important days and doesn't have any real similarity with the things St. Nicholas stands for...

I myself am not sure how this metamorphosis took place but I do know that the image of Santa Claus that most are familiar with - the jolly fat man in the red suit - is the responsibility of the Coca-Cola company. Perhaps this little factoid holds part of the answer. It all plays into the commercialism of the Christmas of the present day . . .

cemwerewolf wrote:

I myself am not sure how this metamorphosis took place but I do know that the image of Santa Claus that most are familiar with - the jolly fat man in the red suit - is the responsibility of the Coca-Cola company. Perhaps this little factoid holds part of the answer. It all plays into the commercialism of the Christmas of the present day . . .

What annoys me is that I once knew how 'Santa' emerged, just that my memory is like a sieve already. I do recall that fact about Santa Claus, though, and how he was originally daubed in green as opposed to the Coca-Cola-red.

black_magnolia wrote:

Morgana wrote:

black_magnolia, I have no idea how St. Nicholas on December 6 morphed into Santa Claus on December 25. Maybe another case of Christians borrowing from other traditions? That would be my best guess, anyway...

St. Nicholas is a Christian saint so I don't see why they would morph him into Santa Claus and then combine him with a day that is among Christians one of the most important days and doesn't have any real similarity with the things St. Nicholas stands for...

Interesting... I always thought St. Nicholas was based on an older, Pagan figure, and therefore predated Christianity. I'm really getting intrigued by this now though, and will have to do a bit of research.

cemwerewolf, that Coca-Cola ad campaign was from the 1930's, wasn't it? And that's why Santa is dressed in red as we know him today.