Santa Claus, Santa Claus and the Christ child are three guys with a mission – and a common past.
It has its origins in the fourth century: Nicholas of Myra, bishop in Lycia (today’s Turkey), was already a legend during his lifetime: people worship Nicholas for his benefits and miracles. On December 6th around 350 AD, Nicholas dies. He becomes the patron saint of sailors and children. The cult surrounding his person spreads throughout Europe; countless churches are dedicated to him. The Greeks still celebrate him as a national saint today.
In the 14th century, there was no gift-giving on December 24th; Christmas was a purely church festival. But around 1300 the custom of St. Nicholas developed. The bishop is considered the secret bringer of gifts for the children on December 6th. The new Christian cult mixes with old winter customs. In German cities there are processions for St. Nicholas, accompanied by masked people: angels, devils, and pagan horrors.
For the reformer Martin Luther in the 16th century, the veneration of St. Nicholas was a “Kyndish thing.” He demands that only Christmas, i.e. the birth of the “Holy Christ”, be celebrated on December 25th. So that the children still receive gifts, they should from now on receive them from the “Christ Child”.
Luther’s idea of the Christ Child initially only spread in Protestant countries, but later it also became popular in Catholic regions. Nowadays, the Christ child gives gifts almost exclusively to children in Catholic areas, sometimes as a baby Jesus, sometimes as an angel-like being with feminine features.
Despite Luther’s criticism, the custom of St. Nicholas lives on. What’s new is the retreat: As a kind bishop, Nicholas comes into the houses and brings the children small gifts. The pagan figures now come to his side as punishing companions, their masks and names change depending on the region: Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, Hans Muff, Pelzprecht, Hans Trapp.
From the 18th century onwards, the characters of the gift-bringing figures slowly merged into one actor: Santa Claus, who now brings gifts at Christmas, especially to Protestants. It was only in the 20th century that the image of a comfortable, fat old man in a red and white robe – who was visually reminiscent of St. Nicholas – became established in Germany.
Like siblings, Christ Child and Santa Claus now share their duties along denominational lines: Santa Claus gives gifts on Christmas Eve in the north and east, Christ Child predominantly in the south. Both are eagerly awaited. St. Nicholas is basically the vanguard and in some places comes to the children as early as December 6th, St. Nicholas Day.
Nicholas, Christ Child, Santa Claus: You can find a clear overview of the history of the gift-bringers in the large star graphic below:
Despite their Protestant culture, the Dutch hold on to their figure of St. Nicholas: Sinterklaas. Accompanied by the politically controversial “Zwarten Piet”, he brings the children gifts on the evening of December 5th. To this day, St. Nicholas Day is the highlight of the Christmas season and the main gift-giving day in the neighboring country. Because many prices plummeted afterwards, many Germans took advantage of the opportunity and bought their Christmas presents in the neighboring country.
The Dutch brought Sinterklaas to America, and he became popular there as Santa Claus from the middle of the 19th century. A German-born caricaturist draws him: cheerful, fat, with a bushy beard, and later also in a red robe. Coca-Cola sends this image in advertising campaigns around the world. “Santa,” who rustles through the chimney on the night of December 25th, is now forcing his way into living rooms all over the world.
From old folk beliefs, not from the tradition of St. Nicholas, comes Father Frost, a pagan, strict apparition who can freeze everything into ice. From the middle of the 19th century he appeared as a worthy grandfather in an ice blue robe. Initially rejected by the communists as a “capitalist”, since the 1930s he has officially been something like the Soviet Santa Claus, who brings gifts on New Year’s Eve. Today the Snow Maiden accompanies him.
