03. Origin of Santa Claus

In 1882, a New-York pastor created the modern day Santa Claus brought originally from Europe by Dutch settlers in 17th century inspired by myths, legends and folklore from the old world to the new world. Embodied by the figure of St Nicholas, dressed in the traditionnal red-coat-tunic immemorially fixed in the Christian spirit.

Santa Claus was not invented by a famous brand of soda. Its origins are deep, magical and mysterious.

Santa Claus family tree :   

THE ANCESTORS OF SANTA CLAUS

Ancestor of primitive pagan mythology : The god of nature and the Herne renaissance (or Cernunnos) represented as a man wearing horns, appeared at the winter solstice with a bag which he emptied as a sign of abundance. A provider of wealth, it promoted fertility. In ancestral shamanic practices (Siberia for example), the shaman presented himself as an intermediary between human and nature spirits. He had an important place in his community. To come into contact with the spirits, in order to bring back gifts such as strength or healing to his fellow-beings, wearing horns and practiced trances in front of the smoke from the hearth of his dwelling (which will later become a fireplace). Much later, the shaman will be called a sorcerer and wrongly accused of evil-doing.

His ancestors of western pagan mythology from 3000 years ago accompanied by the donor gods :

Odin (known as Wotan) revered in Scandinavia : This imposing bearded god lived in the mythical kingdom of Asgard and rode an 8-legged horse named Sleipnir. He was mainly celebrated around 21th December and the people made many offerings to him. Bales of hay were also offered to his horse, Odin's particularity is that he regularly sent crows to earth to monitor the conduct of his people. Then he rewarded caring children at the time of the winter solstice or left a handful of ashes to uncaring people. The legend of wild hunting is attached to it. During the night hunt, he moved in a flying chariot (probably the ancestor of the sled) accompanied by spectral riders. His son Thor was also present in a sleigh pulled by goats. This wild hunt represents the death of a cycle and the start of a new one, that is to say the passage from one year to another. Another son of Odin named Heimdal was the guardian of the bridge that was between the world of men (Midgard) and that of the Gods (Asgard). He lived in a castle in the north. These three Gods will give the main characteristics of Santa Claus today.

Mikoula revered in Russia : He was the god of the harvest but he was also present at the end of the year to reward the caring children.

Gargan among the Celts : Giant with a very large belly he was famous for giving gifts to attentive children at the time of the winter solstice.

Strénia and Saturn venerated in Rome in Italy : During the "Saturnalia" (great Roman festivals dedicated to the god of agriculture Saturn), social norms were turned upside down for the duration of December. This time was called "the liberties of December" or "libertas decembris". During these festivals to remain healthy, we honored the goddess Strénia whose name means "omen". The Romans offered gifts in her name. It should be noted that the "Saturnalia" will transform in the Middle Ages to "La fête des fous" in France. Santa's gift to resist the fire might have been transmitted by Zeus the son of Saturn ?

All these gods were celebrated around the end of December, at the time of the winter solstice in order to celebrate the « rebirth of the day », which will become later known as Christmas !

His ancestors coming from folklore traditions of diverse countries :

Befana in Italy : Old woman/witch : she is generous and gives gifts on 6th January, the Epiphany. 

Le Père Janvier in France : is an old man who personifies the winter season. In Russia, this  character is called Ded Moroz. He has a long white beard. He wears a blue and silver overcoat. He travels by three-horsed troïka. Père Janvier and Ded Moroz distribute gifts on the first January. In USA, this winter character is called Jack Frost with the physical traits of a young spritely elf.

Aunty Arie in France : Half-fairy, half-witch character with bird legs and iron teeth, bringing gifts to attentive children in certain regions of France.

The Jultomte (Sweden), the Julenisse (Norway) and the goat Julbock : In Scandinavia, Santa Claus has the features of elves. He moves on the back of a goat and delivers gifts to children through the door because he does not like the fireplace. By the way, he eats the bowl of porridge prepared just for him.

Babushka in Russia : Old lady who collects wood in the forest and crosses the Three Wise Men who propose that she comes with them to adore the baby Jesus. The old lady refuses because she has a job but quickly regrets and starts looking for them. And it’s this character personifying a « wanderer » who brought gifts to little Russian children.

  

Father Christmas in England : Dressed in green and wearing a holly wreath, he was probably inspired by a Druidic figure. It used to be called "Sir Christmas" or "Old Winter" and heralded the return of next spring. It is regularly found in the Victorian era (1837 to 1901), especially in the writings of Charles Dickens.

His ancestors came from the Christian world :

The Three Kings : These Three Kings, who came to worship Jesus on 6th January,  guided by a star « announcing » the birth of a Messiah. They carry gifts: Gaspard representing Asia brings incense, Melchior representing Europe brings gold and Balthazar representing Africa brings myrrh. They are the 1st donors of the Christian religion. A legend says that there would be a 4th Wise King ?!

Baby Jesus or Christkindel : (sometimes represented by a young woman dressed in white). Around 325, the Christian Emperor Constantine, fixed the date of Jesus’s birth to 25th December. It is a political choice which aims to eradicate pagan cults. At the time of the Protestant reform (around 1520) St Nicholas, who had become unwelcome, was replaced by the baby Jesus « giver of gifts ». It was Christkindel who inspired the second name of American Santa Claus : Kris Kringle.

The Angels : They offered help to the baby Jesus by distributing gifts through the chimney.

Saint Lucia : Very celebrated in Sweden, it symbolizes light (rebirth of the day). Saint Lucia is the great « giver of gifts ».

Bishop Saint Nicholas : Nicholas (whose name means "victory of the people") also known as Nicholas de Myre, is said to have been born in Patare, in Lycia (now Turkey), around 270 and died on 6th December (between 343 and 352). He is a very popular saint amongst Christians as well as Orthodox. He is one of the main ancestors of Santa Claus.

Saint Nicholas is the patron of schoolchildren, sailors, unmarried, (spinsters  batchelors), travelers… His Christian commemoration on 6th December is a very popular holiday in many countries. The St. Nicholas tradition has it that children who have been well-behaved all year round receive treats and gifts distributed on a donkey or on a magnificient white horse named Slupinis. On the other hand, children who were disobedient were given a "flogging by Père Fouettard".

Saint Nicholas who should have become Bishop of Myre distributed throughout his life and during his many trips, the immense fortune which he inherited from his parents. Several legends are attached to it. (see the "Golden Legend" by Jacques de Voragine in the 13th century). The best known is that of the three small children killed by a butcher and put into a salting tub like swine. Seven years later, Saint Nicholas returned to the butcher and resuscitated the children. He also saved three young girls from slavery by offering them each a gold purse. This enabled their Father to endow them with a dowry in order to marry them. He also rescued sailors from a ship in a storm carrying a cargo of wheat for the city of Myre.

The bishop who became later a Saint saw his cult spread in the West after 1087 when his relics were stolen by wealthy Italian merchants who brought them back to Bari. At the beginning of the 12th century, on the return from a crusade, a Lorraine Knight named Aubert de Varangéville, in turn steals a phalange from the Saint in Bari to bring it back to Port in France (near Nancy). The city built a basilica dedicated to the Saint and renamed it St Nicolas de Port. His cult then flourished in the north and east of France.

  

In Bari, since 1087 and up to the present day, each year in may, the city stages the arrival of the Holy Man. Many pilgrims still travel there to benefit from the presents of a precious oil that would flow from his bones.

If Nicholas existed, it is very likely that this legend was greatly embellished. It should be noted that we find in St Nicholas several characteristics of the Scandinavian pagan God Odin such as the name of his horse « Slupinis » very close to that of Odin’s « Sleipnir the 8-legged horse ». The cult of St Nicholas probably replaced ancient pagan cults.

Unlike Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas is somewhat ambiguous. It represents both good and evil since it is almost always accompanied by a dubious compagnon (Le Père Fouettard).

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During the first 3 centuries A.D, the nascent Christian religion was in competition with the worship of the God Mithra originating in Persia. In this cult, 25th December was celebrated as "Sol invictus" (Sun undefeated). This rebirth of the sun was represented by a newborn baby. In the 4th century A.D, when the Christian religion became prominent, due to Emperor Constantine and Pope Liberius’s intervention, the invictus was replaced by the birth of Jesus.

THE BIRTH OF MODERN SANTA CLAUS ON 24TH DECEMBER 1822

In the Middle Ages, St Nicholas (Sint Niklaas or Sinter Klaas) spoilt the well-bahaved and overindulged Dutch children during the feast day 6th December. Around 1520, the German Protestant reformer Martin Luther wanted to eradicate the Saints (deeply rooted in European culture) in order to focus worship on the infant Jesus. It was at this time that the Christskindel appeared, that is to say the baby Jesus bringing gifts to replace St Nicholas. The cult of St Nicholas gradually diminished but remained alive in Holland. Then, in the 17th century, he embarked upon with the first immigrants to the new world and became Santa Claus.

In the European tradition, Saint Nicolas climbed on the roofs to bring the gifts down the chimney. His legend was embellished in 1809 by the American writer Washington Irving.

He first mentioned how he moved through the air in his satirical fiction entitled "Knickerbocker's history of New York". Then, was written by pastor Arthur J. Stansburry and published in 1821 a poem entitled "The children’s friend" in which the author spoke for the first time of a sleigh pulled by a reindeer. 

Finally, on 24th December 1822, New York pastor Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem for his children which he called "A visit from St Nicholas" and better known as "The night before Christmas". He changed the date of St Nicholas's visit from December 6th to 24th and described him as a jolly old elf who lost his episcopal attributes, passing down the chimney to distribute gifts and travelling on by a sleigh pulled by 8 flying reindeer.

This poem appeared the following year (December 1823) in a New York gazette and was widely acclaimed. The non-believing population of the time would reclame their Christmas figure of a non-religion reference.

And it is this character, a figure of non-religion reference returns to Europe via Holland and renamed "Père Noël" in France. It will develop essentially after the second world war when the United States, bringing Santa Claus and their American culture to help to rebuild Europe. In 1946, the song "Petit Papa Noël" by Tino Rossi became a very strong craze for this character.

ITS FIRST MODERN REPRESENTATIONS

Thomas Nast, an immigrant of Bavaria origin, is a famous American cartoonist and the official cartoonist of the newspaper "Harper’s Weekly". Around 1860, he made the first modern representations of Santa Claus, directly inspired by the poem by Clement Clarke Moore and ressembling Bavarian grandfather from his childhood. He depicts him as a small gnome and popularizes him in a red tunic, black boots and carrying a backpack. In 1885, he invented the Santa Claus house at the North Pole in an illustration representing two children map-reading on the route from the pole.

   

In 1886 the American writer George P Webster took up the idea of ​​Thomas Nast and set up the toy factory in the middle of the ice and snow of the North Pole.

Around the beginning of the 20th century the St Nicolas miter became a cap and the stick became a giant candy cane.

The wicker basket carried on the back named "hotte" seems to be typically French. From the beginning, this wicker basket was not the most pleasant object : in fact, it was used by "Le Père Fouettard" to take with him and punish disobedient children. When St Nicholas turned into a lay Santa Claus, the hood became the mode of transporting gifts. The hood can be considered a cornucopia. It fills at will. Legend has it that Zeus borrowed one of its horns from the Amalthea goat (who was his nurse), which later became the horn of plenty.

SANTA CLAUS OF A FAMOUS SODA BRAND

From the 1930s to the 1960s a firm, whose name you will easily have guessed, helped popularize Santa Claus all over the world thanks to advertisements created by the talented designer Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976). Unlike Thomas Nast, Haddon Sundblom gives Santa Claus a human form. He is no longer represented as an elf or a gnome but as a good old grandfather.

However, this famous brand in no way invented Santa Claus and is not at the origin of its red color.

WHY IS SANTA CLAUS DRESSED IN RED ?

Here is a theory : St Nicolas was a bishop and therefore wore a purple tunic. Above the bishop is the cardinal. Santa Claus would therefore wear red to be hierarchically above St Nicolas. It is maybe a way to dethrone him !

Traditionally, the color red is considered sacred and magical. It represents both life and death. It is also the symbol of a royal function. 

Could we say that Santa Claus is a king ?

THE KILL OF PERE NOEL IN FRANCE (1951)

In France, in 1951, in the city of Dijon, the Church, who did not like Santa Claus, recently imported from the USA, had the idea of ​​having him "executed". The children of the parish were gathered on the porch of a church where a Santa Claus effigie was burnt like a carnival king. The purpose of this killing at the stake was to make children understand that Christmas was made to celebrate the birth of Jesus and that Santa Claus was a pagan myth with nothing in common with this holiday. This caused such a scandal (making the "front page" of the national newspapers) that the next day, the elected officials of Dijon had to apologize to the population by making Père Noël reappear on the roof of the town hall.

As a result, Santa Claus was confirmed in his pagan origin.

Following this "killing", Claude Levi-Strauss, the famous French ethnologist (1908-2009) wrote : "The church is certainly not wrong when it denounces, the belief of Santa Claus, the strongest bastion , and one of the most active centers of paganism in modern man. It remains to be seen whether modern man can also defend his rights to be pagan".

Sources et références consultables en rubrique "sources" page 23 de ce blog.