Have you ever wondered why Santa is rather a rotund fella all dressed in red with a jolly disposition? I had assumed that Santa was the stuff of fairytales lovingly passed down through generations. The true story of our current incarnation of Santa is a fascinating advertising success story, and these days Santa is well and truly one of our most loved and enduring brands.
The lineage of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk named St. Nicholas, born sometime around 280 A.D. who lived near modern-day Turkey. Luck our current day model he was know for his kindness and benevolence - which led to him at one stage becoming the most popular saint there was. Connections have also been drawn to the Germanic god Odin, who rode across the sky on an eight-legged horse. The Christianization of the Germans left Odin behind but kept the concept intact.
St. Nick was particularly well-liked in Holland, where he gained the nickname Sinter Klaas.
In Dutch traditions, Sinter Klaas wears bishops robes and goes around the country finding out which children have been good or bad. After the Protestant Reformation, gift giving switched from the feast day on the 6th to Christmas Eve.
Sinter Klaas crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the Dutch, who celebrated his feast in New York, and with the Germans who celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas in Pennsylvania. In New York, the increasingly popular Sinter Klaas was alternately described as a rascal with a blue hat and yellow stockings, and a man with a broad-brimmed hat and 'Flemish trunk hose.'
Another inspiration for modern day Santa comes from England's Father Christmas, who worn green and lived at the North Pole