It is Christmas time, and the celebrations are incomplete without Santa Claus. But have you ever wondered how a character, also known as Father Christmas, that had nothing to do with Christmas became an integral part of it?
To start with, contrary to the popular belief that Santa Claus is an imaginary character, the idea of a caring elderly man who spreads joy during Christmas was inspired by the life of Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian saint and the patron saint of children.
During his lifetime, Saint Nicholas, who was a Bishop in the city of Myra in modern-day Turkey, was known for his generosity and compassion towards the poor.?
Over the next few centuries, Saint Nicholas became associated with gifting traditions and local folklore across Europe around Christmas. This included Father Christmas, the Christmas Man, Joulupukki, and more.
In Dutch, St. Nicholas was known as Sinterklaas (Sint Nikolas), which eventually became Santa Claus.
However, the iconic red robe of Santa Claus, as we know it today, was popularised by Coca-Cola with an advertising campaign in the 1930s.
In the few available paintings of St. Nicholas, he was depicted with a beard and wearing canonical robes. But for their ad campaign, Coca-Cola replaced his religious dress with the red robe, which resonated with their brand.
While Coca-Cola's version of Santa Claus became an instant hit and the definition of the legendary character, some researchers have claimed that the soft drinks company was not the first to dress him up in red robes. There are some illustrations dating back to the 1800s where Claus is seen wearing red robes but without the beard as we know him today.
Meanwhile, the remains of Saint Nicholas are still preserved at the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Italy's Bari, where they were taken from Myra in the 11th century.
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