Frosty the Snowman. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The Grinch.
These beloved characters are all part of Christmas tradition. But none are as closely tied to the holiday as the jolly man in red.
Whether you call him Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, this legendary figure is famous for delivering gifts to well-behaved children on Christmas Eve, flying through the night in his sleigh with the help of his trusty reindeer.
But how did Santa become the face of Christmas? Here’s a history lesson on good ol’ Saint Nick.
How old is Santa?
Santa Claus traces his roots back to around 280 A.D., when St. Nicholas was born, according to the History Channel. That would make Santa roughly 1,744 years old today.
How did Santa get his name?
St. Nicholas remained a beloved figure throughout Europe, particularly in Holland. The name “Santa Claus” comes from the Dutch version of St. Nicholas, Sint Nikolaas, which was shortened to Sinter Klaas. Dutch immigrants introduced the legend of St. Nicholas to America in the late 1700s. By December 1773 and 1774, families in New York were already gathering to celebrate his feast day, according to the History Channel.
John Pintard, a member of the New York Historical Society, played a key role in shaping the modern image of Santa. In 1804, he distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas at the society’s annual meeting. These images featured stockings filled with toys and fruit hanging over a fireplace, a scene that echoes the imagery we still associate with Santa today.
By 1809, the stories of Sinter Klaas gained further popularity through Washington Irving’s The History of New York, in which he referred to Santa as “the patron saint of New York,” according to the History Channel.
The famous 1822 poem “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” helped solidify the image of Santa as a “right jolly old elf” who traveled in a sleigh delivering gifts to well-behaved children.
In 1881, cartoonist Thomas Nast cemented Santa’s appearance, portraying him as a large man with a white beard, red suit, and a sack of toys—an image that continues to define Santa Claus today.
