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Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure [1] originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve.
Today, Saint Nicholas is still celebrated as a great gift-giver in several Western European and Central European countries. In medieval times, Christian nuns in Belgium and France began to deposit baskets of food and clothes anonymously at the doorsteps of the needy, which gave rise to the practice of gift giving on Saint Nicholas Day. [108]
In Greece, Saint Nicholas does not carry an especial association with gift-giving, as this tradition is carried over to St. Basil of Caesarea, celebrated on New Year's Day. St. Nicholas is the protector of sailors, he is considered the patron saint of the Greek Navy, military and merchant alike, and his day is marked by festivities aboard all ...
This led to the creation of the long-lasting custom of children hanging up stockings or leaving a plate out on St. Nicholas Eve. St. Nicholas was named a saint by the church on Dec. 6, which is ...
STORY: Dressed in red and white robes, with a tall mitre on his head and a thick, gilded staff in his hand, Czech children know him as "Mikulas." They also know that he takes his job much more ...
Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure in European folklore based on the Greek early Christian bishop Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children. On Saint Nicholas Day , children wait for Saint Nicholas to come and put a present under their pillow or in a boot on their windowsill, provided that the children were good during the year.
December 6 marks Feast Day, a festival dedicated to Saint Nicholas on the day of his passing. European tradition calls for children to leave their shoes outside of their bedroom doors on the eve ...
Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about children's behavior during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern ...