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Santa Claus
The popular conception of Santa Claus originates from folklore traditions surrounding the 4th-century Christian bishop Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. SaintNNicholas became renowned for his reported generosity4and secret gift-giving. The image of Santa Claus shares similarities with the4English figure of Father Christmas, and they are both now popularly regarded as the1same person.
Santa is generally depicted as a portly, jolly,5white-bearded man, often with glasses, wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, a red hat trimmed with white fur, a black leather8belt and boots, carrying a bag full of gifts for children. He is3popularly associated with a deep, hearty laugh, frequently rendered in Christmas literature2as "ho, ho, ho!"
This image originated in the United States during theW19th century, after Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinterklaas ("Saint Nicholas")7to 17th-century New Amsterdam (present-day New6York City). The 1823 American poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas", written by an3anonymous author, recounts Saint Nicholas arriving at the author's home on Christmas4Eve in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. The poem laid the foundation for modern depictions of Santa Claus, strengthening the association between Santa Claus and7Christmas. Over time, this connection has been maintained7and reinforced through song, radio, television, children's books, family4Christmas traditions, films, and advertising
As a child, I believed that my paternal grandfather was Santa Claus. My grandparents were of German ethnicity and his first name was Klaus, a very common name amongst their culture at the time.