The History of Santa Claus Many people know the legend of Santa
Claus. The large, jolly man dressed in red and white is
constantly around us during the Christmas season. However, do
many of us really know the origins of Santa Claus and where his
story came from? Santa Claus started with a real person, Saint
Nicholas. He was a saint from the fourth century and was very
popular in Europe. Saint Nicholas had a reputation of generosity
and kindness. It was said that he brought children back to life,
and paid the marriage dowries for poor women. It is from Saint
Nicholas that Santa Claus is given the characteristic of gift
giving. He became the patron saint of Russia and Greece. By the
sixth century, churches all over Europe were dedicated to Saint
Nicholas, along with numerous artworks and plays. After the
reformation in the church, Saint Nicholas ceased to appear in
the protestant countries except for Holland. Here, he was given
the name Sinterklaas, which is a Dutch variation of the name
Saint Nicholas. When th